Merlin's Bodyguard
by Kl9270
Summary: what if merlin had a Bodyguard to help him with all the adventures and quest that arthur drags him on? that is where Raven comes in. hope that everyone like it.
1. Chapter 1

I collapse outside of the small village. Everything is starting to go black. "Can you hear me?" a kind voice asks. I nod my head.

"You can put her in my home," a woman says. Strong hands pick me up and I stop existing.

I wake up with a jerk, covered in a cold sweat. "Are you feeling better?" a woman asks from behind me. I turn around and look up at the woman. She is very kind in appearance.

"Who are you? Where am I?" I ask in confusion. Her expression softens a little.

"My name is Hunith, and you collapsed on the edge of Ealdor. It is a small village on the outskirts of Cenred's kingdom," she explains. I nod my head at her words, and look around. I am resting in a simple bed, in a small and welcoming cottage. It is all one room with a few curtains up for privacy. At some point there was another person living with her, that was not allowed in the same bed as her.

"My name is Raven. Thank you for letting me stay in your home while I recover," I thank her as I slowly sit up.

"Please it is no trouble at all. It is nice to be able to care for someone again. My son left awhile ago, and I miss him," she says with a sigh. I lift up my shirt to look at the bandage. Hunith is very good at wrapping bandages. I lightly touch the area around the wound through the bandage. For now it will be fine, but if I do not put my herbs on it soon it will quickly become infected.

"Have you seen my bag?" I ask her. She smiles, and hands me a bag off the floor. "Thank you. I don't suppose that you also have some water?" I ask her.

"Of course. Let me go grab some for you," she grabs a bucket and leaves. I pull out a bowl and the herbs that I need. While I wait for her to return, I get out of the bed, and hobble over to the table. She comes back just as I sit down. "Are you alright? You should be resting," she says. Sounding every bit the loving mother I never had. I smile sadly at her.

"I have to put a paste on the wound so that it does not become infected. Like you said it is rather deep," I explain. She looks at the bowl in my hands and the herbs inside of it. She nods her head and places the bucket of water on the floor next to me. I scoop some water into the bowl and start grinding them into the paste I need. Once that is done I remove my shirt. Thankfully my breast wrap is still in place, and the stab is low enough to have avoided all the vital organs. Unfortunately I will need to stitch it closed. "Can you help me with the bandages?" I ask her. She nods her head wordlessly and comes closer to unwrap the bandages.

I can tell she did not fully remove my shirt when she applied the bandages, because she is staring with wide eyes at the druid symbol tattooed on my collarbone. I smirk a little. She would go buggy if she knew that I was not just a druid. I am proud to wear the mark. She does not know the differences between marks and how each is personalized to represent the person wearing it. If she did, then she would know that I am a shifter. The druid man that gave it to me was freaking out and hoping that I just wanted to scare people. Too bad it is who I really am.

Once she gets the last of the bandages off, I place a piece of tough leather between my teeth, and apply the paste. I whimper a little at the burn, but make sure it is covered. Once I have all of the paste in the wound, I pull out my needle and thread, and start stitching it closed. Hunith is watching in wide-eyed fascination. When I finish I spit the leather out and rest my head on top of the table. "Do you need a drink?" she asks softly. I nod my head. I will have to rewrap the bandages so the nothing rubs against the stitches too much.

A cup plops next to my head, and I reach for it. "Do you have magic?" she asks me softly. I drain the cup of water, and nod my head again. "Are you dangerous?" she asks.

I look up at her face and see a small glint of fear. "No Hunith, I am not a danger. Once I am fully healed I will be on my way again," I tell her. She nods, and helps me rewrap the bandages. "Thank you again, Hunith. There are not many in this day and age that are as accepting of magic as you appear to be," I tell her simply.

"The two most important men in my life have magic, and I would never be able to deny them my love and caring," she tells me. I nod my head.

"Love is the best emotion I have ever seen. Though I must admit I have never felt it," I tell her.

"I am sure that you will one day," she says sweetly.

"Not likely. There are so few of my kind left that the chances of finding one, let alone loving him is very low," I tell her.

"What do you mean your kind?" she questions.

"Sorry, but I would rather not tell you," I say softly. She thinks about it very hard, but nods her head anyways. Outside I hear a bunch of horses, and lots of shouting. "What is that?" I ask. She goes outside to look, while I put a shirt back on.

"HUNITH!" a man shouts, and I race to the door on shaky legs. Hunith is on the ground, and a group of bandits rides away. A man is lying dead a few feet away from Hunith with an arrow in his chest. I grimace, and hear the low growl emitting from my throat.

What kind of monster hits a woman? Hunith was probably doing nothing wrong. I cannot imagine her doing something that could harm others. I stay in the doorway, and wait while she talks with a few of the other villagers. She hurries back towards me, and I can see determination shining in her eyes. "What happened?" I ask her. Her eye is already turning black, and swelling. Rage fills my chest, and my skin gets tight with the urge to shift and chase down the man that hit her. But I only just met her. Why do I feel this way?

"That was Canen, he has been plaguing this village for a few months now. Our king cares little for us, and so refuses to help us. I am going to go to Camelot and seek the help of Uther Pendragon. Do you want to come with me?" she asks.

"I am very sorry. I am not fit enough to go to Camelot right now, and if Uther found out who or what I was, he would sentence me to death," I tell her. She nods as if she thought about all of these things already.

"You are welcome to stay here until I return if you would like. I know it is not much, but it is something," she offers.

"I would like that very much. It has been a long time since I could sleep in a house. Thank you Hunith, how can I repay you for your kindness?" I ask her.

"Let me think about it alright?" she asks. I nod in acceptance. She bustles around the small house, packing a bag for the trip. It must not be very far from here to Camelot, because she is not packing a lot of food. Either that or she plans to walk non-stop. Once she is done she turns to me. "Will you be here when I return in a few days?" she asks.

"Yes. I will be here until you tell me how to repay you," I tell her. She nods with a smile, and walks out of the door. I look around the house, and sigh. I need some sleep now. I lie down on the bed, and fall asleep quickly.

When I wake up again, the sun is shining once more, and there are several roosters crowing. I sit up and rub my eyes. With a quick glance around I decide that I will clean her house today. It does not take long before I finish and head out for water at the well. A lot of people stop to stare at me, but no one tries to talk to me. On my way back to Hunith's house a man stops me. His hair is shoulder length and a light brown color that matches his full beard. He has a very kind face, and a quiet disposition.

"Excuse me, but are you the girl we found on the outskirts of the village?" he asks.

"Yes that was I. is there something you needed?" I ask him in return. He blushes a little.

"My name is ," he introduces himself. I smile at him, and shake the hand he offered.

"My name is Raven. It is a pleasure to meet you," I tell him sweetly.

"I was wondering if you like to eat dinner with my wife and me?" he asks politely.

"I would love to. Hunith left last night to get help, and it feels weird to be alone in someone else's house," I tell him.

"Where is your home?" he asks.

"I don't have one. Once Hunith returns, I will be on my way. I do not usually return to places," I tell him. He nods, and smiles.

"I will come to get you later tonight," he excuses himself. I smile to myself. His wife is very lucky. Not many guys are as sweet as that. I head back into Hunith's home, and sleep for a little bit. I wake up after a few hours, and change into proper clothes. I leave my bodice loose so it does not irritate my stitches. Just as I finish, there is a knock at my door. Perfect timing.

I hurry to answer it, and see standing there, and looking at the ground. He must be a bundle of nerves. When he looks up at me, his face turns red, and his mouth opens and closes. "So dinner right? Will this be okay?" I ask. He nods his head vigorously. I smile at him, and follow when he turns and walks away. And these are not even my best clothes. When we get to his house, his wife is very nice to me. The longer I stay though the more upset she becomes. She is not fool enough to be blind to the effect I have on men.

I leave as soon as convention allows, and thank them for a pleasant meal. I walk back to Hunith's house alone. The next few days are filled with men flirting and women scowling. This is the main reason why I do not stay in one place for too long. I always end up causing problems, and at some point the woman, while getting called a whore, usually chases me out of town. Things do not get a chance to go that far though, because Hunith returns at the same time as the bandits. I am beating one man with a broom when a fair-haired man swoops in and beats the man.

I just stare at him like he is nuts. Why would he help me, and why does he have on such heavy looking clothes? I watch as the bandits leave. But not before threatening to return and make everyone pay for this. I feel my core tug me toward a dark haired boy, but I resist. I can feel his magic, and I would rather not get too close. As it is I am putting a lot of stress on my magic by keeping it close to home.

Hunith comes up to me, with a smile. "How have you been healing?" she asks.

"Excellent. I am completely healed, thank you for asking. Who are these people?" I ask. I see that besides the two men that came with Hunith there are also two women. One is beautiful, with long raven colored hair and pale skin. The other has darker skin, but is just as pretty. They are both wearing breeches and tunics and I smile in delight. I hate wearing silly dresses. They are so useless, and restricting.

"Come back to the house and I will introduce you to them," she says. I have no choice but to follow her. Even though it means I will be forced into an enclosed area with the warlock. It will be impossible for me to avoid bonding with him in such close quarters. I walk into the house last, and suck in a deep breathe as my magic locks onto the warlock. He looks at me with wide eyes, and I know he can feel it.

"Raven this is Gwen, the lady Morgana, Prince Arthur, and my son Merlin," Hunith introduces. I nod to each one as she says their names. So the blonde is a prince huh? No wonder his clothes look so heavy. Surely he could wear something lighter?

"Hello my name is Raven. Thank you all so much for coming to help with the bandits," I tell them. The prince blushes and nods his head. Merlin just narrows his eyes, and watches me closely. My magic is still wrapped around him, but I am stopping it from doing what it wants to do.

"How long have you been staying with my mother?" Merlin asks.

"She was just letting me stay here until I was fully healed. I will probably leaving in the morning," I tell him.

"Why?" Gwen asks.

"Because I do not feel comfortable in large groups of people. I feel safest in the woods. I am healed and Hunith has returned, so there is nothing keeping me here," I tell her. She nods, but looks a little sad. Why? She knows nothing about me. My skin itches all over as my magic boils. It wants to bond me to Merlin and I will not let it. "If you will excuse me, I will go get some water," I tell them as I grab the bucket.

"I'm coming with you," Hunith says. I sigh, and nod. There is no way for me to tell her no. We walk in silence all the way to the well. "What kind of magic do you have?" she asks. So that is how she wants to start huh?

"I have magic, is there a particular type you wanted?" I ask her.

"I know what I want you to do to repay me," she says lightly. I pour the water I just hauled up into the bucket.

"And what would that be?" I ask her.

"I want you to look after my son. I worry about him, and I think perhaps if he had you looking after him he would be safer than he is now," she says. My stomach drops, and my magic crackles. I told her I would do anything, but I did not want to bond to a wizard or witch. They are so much trouble.

"Alright Hunith, I will keep him safe, but I cannot do it like this. I will leave, but return as an animal. That way he will not know that I am protecting him," I tell her. She nods happily, and we head back to her house. I let my magic do what come naturally to it. My entire being stretches and changes to match Merlin. It is a very odd feeling, and I grimace as I feel him try to fight against it. Even someone as strong as he cannot fight this though. In no time at all it is done, and nothing could ever make me leave Merlin alone. Not after this. We walk inside the house, and Merlin glares at me. I ignore him, and help Hunith prepare some food. It is going to be a long night. The sooner I can get away and shift the happier I will be.


	2. Chapter 2 Shadow

MERLIN

I glance at Raven again. She is amazingly beautiful, and just looking at her makes my heart skip a beat. The thing I can't fathom though is why she is staying at my mothers? What does she have to gain from Hunith? What kind of magic does she have? It had felt a lot like mine, but much more wild and untamed. So what should I do? Mother seems to like her a lot, but what did she do to me before? It had felt wrong, almost like she was trying to suffocate my magic.

When she came back from the well with my mother though it pulled at my very being. Then I felt safer than I ever have. I look over at her again. She looks younger, and more innocent while she sleeps. She is curled up into as tight a ball as possible. She moves and puts her thumb against her bottom lip. I sigh lightly, before pulling the covers up and rolling over. If I am facing her I get the feeling I will not get much sleep.

RAVEN

I sit up and stretch silently. I look around and relax. Everyone is sleeping, so this will be easier. I stand up, and put away the cot without a sound. After grabbing my bag I head for the door. As I start to walk past Merlin I pause. I look down at his relaxed features. My life is not my own anymore. I kneel in front of him and study him. Lightly I brush his bangs off of his forehead. It might not be all bad, I could have bonded to an arrogant ass like Prince Arthur.

His hair is soft against my fingertips, and I close my eyes. I can take care of him, but at what cost? I look at his face again, and smile. Suddenly I don't mind as much that I will have to care of him. It will be nice to care for someone other than myself. I stand up, and touch the door handle. "Not going to say good bye to us, huh?" I hear Merlin whisper. I turn around and see him looking at me. He is supporting himself with one elbow while removing the blanket with his other hand. I look at the others that are still asleep, and gesture for him to follow me outside. He is up almost immediately.

MERLIN

She closes the door behind us quietly. "Why are you here?" I ask her immediately. She sighs, and starts walking.

"I was stabbed by a burglar, and ran away. Due to blood loss I passed out. I was not aware that I was on the edge of a small village. I was running blindly through the woods. Your mother was nice enough to let me stay at her place until I was all healed," she explains.

"Why were you touching me back there?" I ask her. I can feel my face burning as I ask her, and watch as her cheeks flame as well.

"I thought you were asleep," she mumbles.

"Sorry what was that?" I ask. She glares at me, and I can't help the goofy smile I give her. Her expression softens a little, but she does not answer my question. I decide to ask her another one. "What are you? I know you have magic, but it feels too wild to belong to a human," I ask her. She relaxes. I guess she is a lot more comfortable talking about this then.

"I am a shifter, Merlin. And starting from today onwards, I am your shifter," she smiles at me sweetly. My stomach flips a little. She can do a lot of damage with a simple smile.

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"A shifter is a creature of magic, like dragons. We are born in tune with the earth, and able to become our inner animal at will. My tribe is that of the wolves. That means my inner animal is a wolf. When a shifter gets too close to someone in tune to his or her magic, we are pulled towards him or her, and create a bond with him or her. It is the job of the shifter to look out for the witch or wizard, and keep them safe. If the shifter dies, the witch or wizard dies as well. If the witch or wizard dies, the shifter dies. Therefore it benefits the witch or wizard to look out for the shifter as well. Being bonded lengthens the lives of both, and gives a good reason to want to keep each other alive," she tells me. We walk out of town and closer to the woods.

"So you became bonded to me, because of my magic?" I ask.

"Yes, but only because of your mother. I am strong enough that I could have resisted the pull, but you mother has asked me to look out for you. I owe her for letting me stay in her home. I would have died otherwise," she says. We stop next to a small copse of trees.

"So you were going to run away from here?" I ask.

"Yes, I do not normally concern myself with the affairs of humans," she says with a shrug. "Have you ever wanted an animal, Merlin?" she asks me. Officially changing the subject from the touchy topic.

"Why?" I ask her in confusion. She smiles at me. I get the distinct impression that she is laughing at me.

"If I am going to be able to protect you, my best bet is to shift. It will be better if you actually want a wolf companion. It will be much harder for me to stay with you, and keep you safe if I remain as a human," she tells me.

"Are you able to change anytime you want?" I ask her.

"Weren't you listening to me? I can change at will," she smirks, and I know she is laughing at me.

"What if I have a question for you, but you can't shift to answer it?" I ask.

"Close your eyes, relax, and open your mind for me. I will make sure we can communicate no matter the circumstances," she tells me. I close my eyes, and think about her. "Very good, just like that. Almost there," she whispers softly. I feel her very being in my mind, and my cheeks heat up. Slowly she pulls away, but a small part of her remains at the back of my mind. I can also feel a part of me leaving with her.

"What just happened?" I ask as I open my eyes. She blushes a little. I wonder why?

"I left a part of myself with you, and brought a part of you back with me. That way we can communicate no matter what," she says. I nod my head in understanding. "Also we will be able to tell how the other is feeling, and what condition they are in," she says.

"Well that is useful," I tell her. She nods.

RAVEN

"Stay here, I need to shift," I tell him. He nods and looks back the way we came. I slip behind a tree, and strip down to nothing. I shiver I the cold night air, but stuff my clothes into my bag before tossing it towards Merlin. Accidentally it hits him in the back.

"Hey! What was that for?" he asks. I smile to myself.

"Just making sure that your not peeking at me," I tell him with a small laugh.

"I would not peek at you!" he says sternly. I can feel his blush through our connection, and giggle softly. Wait did I really just giggle? What the hell is wrong with me? A breeze raises goose bumps all along my skin, and I hug myself. I need to shift before I catch a cold or something. I feel my magic stir and pulse as I change from a human to a wolf. Warmth spreads as my fur grows, and my spine cracks. It feels amazing, and I sigh. I have wanted this for a long time. I love being in my wolf form. It is far stronger, and I feel so free.

Wearily I step out from behind the tree, and nudge the back of Merlin's leg. I am glad that he did not try to peek; it is not pretty to watch a shift. No matter how lovely it feels. He looks down at me and his mouth falls open. For a long time he says nothing, and just stares at me. '_Merlin?_' I whisper through his mind. He blinks several times, and even shakes his head.

"Sorry, you are just so beautiful," he says. I can hear the awe in his voice, and look away. How embarrassing, but I wag my tail a little anyways.

This is the first time that anyone has ever seen my wolf form. I did not want to shift while in the presence of my tribe. A solid black wolf is not considered a good omen after all. They all thought I was incapable of shifting. After a while my mother banished me from the tribe because she was embarrassed by me.

'_Lets head back. You need to sleep while you can. Can you grab that bag_?' I ask him. He nods, and we walk back into the village. I make no noise, so that the animals do not make too much of a fuss and wake everyone up. We stop in front of Hunith's house and he holds the door open for me.

"You're not coming in?" he asks softly.

I shake my head from side to side. '_No, Merlin, I am a wolf. I must go sleep in the woods, so I do not frighten anyone_,' I tell him gently. He nods his head in understanding.

"Good night Raven," he whispers before closing the door. I head back out into the woods. Once I find a good place, I curl up under a bush and start to fall asleep. '_I think I have an idea about how you can stay with me_,' Merlin thinks through the bond. His idea slips through a little, and I growl.

'_I am not a dog Merlin! How dare you suggest tying me up like one! What is wrong with you_?' I snarl angrily through his mind.

'_It would only be until Hunith can explain why you are there. I can tell her hat is going on and I know she will help. If she tells Arthur and the others that you are a gift for me, they will not find it odd that you spend time with me. They will also expect that you will return to Camelot with me as well. How is that not a good idea_?' he ask.

'_Because I refuse to be tied to a post like a common dog_!' I bellow through his mind. I can feel that it hurt him, but how dare he.

'_What is I made a fenced in area, that way you are not restrained, but it will look like you are under control_?' he offers softly. He is afraid to anger me, which is a good thing.

'_That will be fine, but do not ever think about trying to tie me up again Merlin,_' I warn softly. I can feel his immediate acceptance to these conditions. '_I am on my way. Be quick and quiet,_' I tell him.

I pad silently through the village until I reach Hunith's house. I slip around back, and see Merlin using his magic to create a small fenced in area. I leap up and land against his back. He falls over and looks at me. I growl a little, but let him get back up. "I am sorry Raven. I do not know why I thought it would all right to try tying you up. It was very wrong of me, and I promise not to do it ever again," he says earnestly.

'_I know. You would not live long enough to regret going back on that promise_,' I tell him. He finishes the fence, and gesture for me to go in. I leap the fence easily, and he smiles a little.

"What should I name you?" he asks.

'_What do you mean_?' I ask him back.

"Well if I tell them that your name will be Raven, they will remember that the girl that left last night was named Raven. So I should tell them that I would name you something different. Especially if my mother is going to give you to me as a gift," he suggests.

I think about it for a long moment. '_You may call me Shadow, because I will be yours,_' I offer. He smiles.

"Good night again Raven," he murmurs, before heading inside once more.

'_Good night, Merlin. Sleep well_,' I whisper in his mind. I curl up in the pen Merlin made for me, and let sleep take me into the dream land.


	3. Chapter 3 Preparing

RAVEN

The sun rises bright and early, and I stretch as it warms me. Being completely black has its benefits. I stand up, and shake out my fur. I grumble a little at the fence, but it is a lot better than a rope. I lie back down and rest my head on my paws and wait for the others inside the house to wake up. I don't have to wait long. I can feel Merlin wake up, and start talking to his mother. Someone leaves the house, but i keep my eyes closed. Not really expecting anyone to come around the back of the house.

Of course I forgot that the privy is back here, so naturally they would come out here to relieve themselves after they woke up. I hear a slight gasp, and open one eye to look at who it is. When I see that it is Gwen I close my eye, and stretch on my side. She keeps her eyes on me, but I make a point of ignoring her. When she finishes her business she hurries back inside, and I can hear her talking excitedly. A few more people talk before they all come outside to look at me. I crack open one eye, and lock onto Merlin. "I was going to give her to you as a surprise Merlin," Hunith explains.

"Is it safe?" Arthur asks. I get up and stretch with a wide yawn. Showing my lovely sharp teeth to the scared Prince.

"Yes. I found her when her eyes were still closed, and brought her back home. It's early still, but happy birthday Merlin," Hunith says. I can see his eyes dancing in merriment, and take a step closer.

"I love her mother, thank you," he gushes. If I were human my cheeks would be on fire right now. His color a little, but he can get over it.

"What will you name her?" Gwen asks. She likes me, and I can honestly say that I like her too.

"How about Shadow?" he suggests. I wag my tail, and bark. He chuckles, and reaches to let me out.

"How are you going to take care of her? She can't be let loose on the streets of Camelot. There would be a panic," Arthur says. Ever the spoilsport. Why did he have to say anything at all? I get tired of waiting, and jump over the fence. Merlin pats my head, and I put my ears back. Though inside my magic relaxes completely. This close to Merlin is a good idea. I can feel him relax as well, but is it supposed to happen so quickly? Doesn't normally take several years before the bonded pair completely depends on each other? Is it because of how strong his magic is? I follow him back inside, and lie down on his feet while he eats.

Wait what did he tell Arthur? I need to pay more attention and stop daydreaming about questions I have no answers for. Arthur is making faces at the food, and I feel irritated. Just because he is a Prince does not mean he can turn his nose up at any food right now. If he does not like it, he can go hungry. They all get up, and head outside to do different tasks. Arthur will train the men, while Gwen and Morgana make sure there are enough weapons for everyone. Arthur sends Merlin out into the woods to get wood. Hunith hands Arthur is bowl and tells him that he didn't finish. He grimaces and hands the bowl to Gwen before hurrying from the house.

"What do you think your doing with that?" Will asks from behind us. I look at him, and grin. He is the biggest flirt I have ever met. He can brush off a rejection with ease, and keep coming back for more. He's been growing on me. '_I'm going to go hunting to give you two some privacy_,' I let Merlin know. He glances down at me, and nods. I take off into the woods. Now what do I want to eat for breakfast?

MERLIN

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm getting wood," I tell Will.

"We both know you don't need that to fell a tree," he jokes.

"And I remember the trouble it got me in. I nearly flattened old man Simmons," I remind Will.

"Ha. Yeah, well, he deserved it, stupid old crow." He smirks at me.

"Mmm. He never did like me anyway." I shrug.

"Well, even less after that," Will says. I chuckle.

"Why are you being like this?" I ask him.

"You know why. Why did you leave?" he asks. He sits next to me on the ground, and I join him.

"It wasn't what I wanted. My mother was worried. When she found out that you knew she was so angry," I tell him.

"I wouldn't've told anyone," he says in exasperation.

"Well, I know you wouldn't," I tell him.

"You'd be able to defeat Canen on your own, wouldn't you?" he asks softly.

"I'm not sure. Maybe," I tell him.

"Well, so what's stopping you? So what if Arthur finds out?" he says.

"I don't expect you to understand," I tell him and stand up. He stands up as well.

"Try me," he says.

"One day Arthur will be a great king, but he needs my help. And if anyone ever found out about my powers, I'd have to leave Camelot for good," I tell him.

"Are you telling me you'd rather keep your magic a secret for Arthur's sake than to use it to protect your friends and family?" he asks me. We both look towards Ealdor. Some twigs snap from behind us. Will turns around quickly, but I already know whom it is. Raven has come back from her hunt, and she wags at us.

RAVEN

I watch as Arthur trains the men. Merlin is gathering more wood, but I am curious to see how much he can teach them. "I will not be able to teach you everything there is to know about fighting with a sword, but you can learn the basics: the stance, how to parry a blow, how to land your own. On my count! One! Two! Three! Four! Now, you may have to watch for the feint. So, keep your feet moving, and only stay in range long enough to land your blow. And again. One! Two! Three! Four!" Arthur tells the men. Off to the side I see Morgana and Gwen Sharpening swords and watching the lesson as well.

My sharp hearing picks up what they say. "There is no way they're going to be able to hold off Canen," Morgana says.

"Men aren't the only ones who can fight." Gwen says as she pulls a blade off the stone wheel.

"Again. One! Two! Three! Matthew. I want you to organize sentry duty to keep an eye out for Canen and his men," Arthur says removing the wooden stick from Matthews's hand.

"Be glad to," Matthew says with relief.

"If there's any sign of attack, I want you to ride straight back here. I don't want you fighting all on your own," Arthur says. Matthew nods, and hurries off.

They take a break for water, and I watch as Arthur gets a drink. Morgana and Gwen walk up to him. "Looks like the battle's already fought and lost," Morgana says.

"They'll toughen up," Arthur says.

"They need to," Gwen says.

"How are we on weapons?" Arthur asks.

"There isn't much, but we should be able to scrape together what you need," Morgana tells him.

"It's not the weapons that worry us. It's having enough people to use them. We think the women should be allowed to fight," Gwen says.

"You haven't enough men. If they were trained soldiers, maybe you would stand a chance, but they're not," Morgana says. They work well together. They must have been together for many years to have a friendship that strong despite being servant and mistress.

"It's too dangerous," Arthur says, before walking back to the resting men. "Right! Back on your feet! Come on, let's go!" he tells them.

The rest of the day passes by slowly. After dinner when everyone lies down to sleep I stretch out in front of Merlin. He buries his face in my thick neck fur and wraps an arm around me. I rest my head on my paws, and close my eyes.

"We don't stand a chance," I hear Gwen murmur to Morgana.

"Arthur can't see that. He's too stubborn." Morgana says back.

Merlin wakes up, and I touch his forehead with my nose. "Why do you think he came here?" Gwen asks.

"The same reason we did: Merlin. Arthur may act like he doesn't care, but he wouldn't be here if he didn't," Morgana says. They both go to sleep after that and Merlin soon follows their example. I sigh, close my eyes, and drift into sleep.

MERLIN

"We're not going to be able to defend Ealdor with sword and sinew alone. We're going to need a plan. We need to find some way of limiting their mobility and drawing them into a trap. If we fight them on their terms, then…" A woman screaming outside cuts off Arthur. We all rush out to see what is going on. Matthew is slung over the back of a horse with an arrow in his back. "Get him down from there!" Arthur orders. A few men hurry and pull Matthew down and place him on the ground. Arthur pulls the note off the arrow and reads it.

"What's it say?" I ask.

"'Make the most of this day, it will be your last,'" Arthur reads out loud.

"MATTHEW! No! No! No!" Matthews Fiancé' screams. She kneels next to his body, and continues saying no.

"You did this," Will says. Pointing a finger at Arthur he continues. "Look what you've done! You killed him!" He yells.

"It wasn't his fault," I jump to defend Arthur.

"If he hadn't been strutting around, treating us like his personal army, this would never have happened!" Will argues.

"These men are brave enough to fight for what they believe in, even if you aren't," Arthur slings at Will.

"You're sending them to their graves! You killed one man. How many more need to die before you realize this is a battle that can't be won? When Canen comes, you haven't got a chance. You're gonna be slaughtered," Will says before walking away. I follow Will back to his house.

"Don't bother Merlin. I'm not interested," Will says before I can say anything to him. He is packing a bag.

"You should be. Because tomorrow Canen attacks, and whether you like it or not, we'll have to fight," I tell him.

"Not if I'm not here," he says.

"Well that's up to you, but the rest of us are staying. Join us, Will! This isn't about Arthur; this is about your friends. Are you really going to abandon them?" I ask him.

"What, like you did?" he snaps back at me.

"I'm here now," I tell him.

"Yeah. Yeah, you are. And you could end this. If you used your magic, then no one else would have to die," he says.

"You know I can't," I tell him.

"Can't or won't? I'm not the one abandoning these people, Merlin. You are," he says. I walk away.


	4. Chapter 4 Battle

RAVEN

The rest of the day is full of planning, and more training. I watch from a distance, Merlin looks worried. The best I can do for him right now is to send him comforting thoughts and feelings. During the day I stay in the forest though. I was getting some very unnerving looks from the villagers earlier, and would rather avoid being seen too much. As the sun starts to set; however I creep closer on silent paws. I enjoyed sleeping with Merlin, and I really want to do it again. Wait what the hell am I thinking about? Get it together girl. There is going to be lots of blood shed tomorrow, and you need to be able to keep your head. After all it is no longer just your life on the line. I slip into Hunith's house and wait for the others. From what I can gather from Merlin's mind, they are holding a meeting with all of the villagers. Probably to get them prepared for the fighting.

It doesn't take too long before they come back, and I hurry to Merlin's side. My tail seems to be wagging of it's own accord. Stop it you traitor! It just wags more. They start to get ready for bed immediately, and I curl up with Merlin when he lies down. He hugs me tightly, and all feels right with the world. Stupid human emotions. For once why can't I feel like a wolf? Is that too much to ask for?

'_What are you thinking about? It feels fun_,' Merlin thinks to me.

'_I am thinking about licking my butt, and then licking Arthur in the mouth_,' I tell him. He chuckles like I hoped he would.

'_Do you really lick your butt_?' he asks.

'_No, I am still human. Find the thought of licking my butt very nasty_,' I tell him. He chuckles again. '_Sleep, Merlin, it is a big day tomorrow. I will keep you safe from both Canen and Arthur. Do what ever it is that you need to do alright_?' I tell him.

'_Alright, thank you_,' he thinks. I can feel him drift deeper into sleep, until it claims him entirely. I let myself relax until I join him in the dreamscape.

MERLIN

The sun wakes me up, and I stretch. I notice that Raven is gone but I can feel that she is hunting right now. I just hope that she will be back before the fighting begins. '_Of course I will sleepy head_,' her voice whispers through my mind, and I smile. I relieve myself, and head back in to wake up Arthur. This is not the day to sleep in. He eats more than he did the day before. I wonder what made him change his mind about the cooking my mother does. I know it is not as nice as he is used to, but it is better than nothing at all.

I reach for his armor and he shakes his head. "No not today, put on your own," he tells me. I nod, and he takes the armor from my hands. He puts his on with Practiced ease, and I wonder about that in the back of my mind. After all I have been putting on his armor for the last few months. I have a bit of trouble getting my fingers to work on the arm braces. Arthur swats my hands away and helps me fasten them. He looks at me, and places his hand on my shoulder. I look up at his face. "Are you ready?" he asks.

"My throats dry," I admit to him. He smirks a little.

"Me too," he admits softly. He holds his hand out to me, and I grasp it. "It's been an honor," he says.

He looks out the window, and I turn his back to me. "What ever happens today, please don't think any differently of me," I tell him.

"I won't," he says. I avoid looking at him for the moment. "It's all right to be scared Merlin," he tells me.

"That's not what I meant," I look at him, and he looks over at me.

"What is it? If you've got something to say, now is the time to say it," he tells me. I take a deep breath, and get ready to tell him when Morgana enters my mother's house.

"Arthur, They've crossed the river," we all walk out of the house, and Arthur greets a few of the villagers with a nod of his head and a few handshakes. We crouch behind a building while Morgana goes to her hiding spot. We wait silently for the approaching men. I can feel Raven racing through the woods as fast as she can. I take a moment to marvel at the way it feels for her to run.

"Hold," Arthur says softly. I realize that while I was with Raven, Canen's men had burst from the forest. They race towards the village while men on foot, jump over a few walls. They must have come from the other side. Or maybe they crept closer to the village last night and were just waiting for the riders. The riders quickly reach the middle of the village, and Gwen pulls up a gate to keep them from going any further. Now it is time for Morgana to light a fire to stop their retreat.

"Now Morgana come on, something's gone wrong," Arthur says worriedly. I make a split second decision to go to where Morgana is hiding. "Merlin!" Arthur whispers loudly. He must think I'm a coward now.

"There's one! Kill him!" Canen yells. I hear the crossbow fire, and I feel Raven's magic. The bolt misses me, as do the others. I slide next to Morgana, and look to see why she has not lit the fire yet.

"Give me the flint's," I tell her. The horses are coming back this way. She hands them and moves back. With a quick glance I murmur a spell, and fire ignites. Now the horses are trapped in the center and Arthur gives the order to attack. Villagers explode out and overwhelm Canen's men. Morgana and I dash into the fighting.

As the fight drags on I quickly notice that we are losing badly. I kill the soldier I was fighting and look for Arthur in the tangle of confusing bodies. A rider less horse races past me, and I turn around to see Will kill one of Canen's men. "I didn't think you were coming," I tell him.

He smiles at me. "Neither did I," he tells me. We look around at the chaos. "There are to many of them," Will notes.

"Not for me there isn't," I tell him. I look back at Arthur, and see that he is still fighting one of the men. I raise a hand and summon a powerful wind to blow away the attackers. When it dies down they flee before the villagers, and a few chase them into the forest. I can feel pride flow through the connection I have with Raven.

"PENDRAGON!" I hear Canen yell behind me. Arthur turns away from Will and me and I get a bad feeling about the look he was giving us. They circle each other while Canen takes a bit of his heavier clothes off. They start fighting, and I know that Canen will not win against Arthur. In the end Arthur wins, as I knew he would, and he turns to Will and I. I can tell that he is angry, and rightfully so.

He storms towards us, and starts talking as soon as he knows we can hear him. "Who did that?" he asks. I play the dumb card and ask him a question in return.

"What?" I ask.

"Wind like that doesn't just appear out of nowhere. I know magic when I see it. One of you made it happen," he demands.

"Arthur," I start, and he glares at me.

"Look out!" will yells and pushes Arthur out of the way. A crossbow bolt plants itself firmly in his chest, and Canen, drops back down dead for real this time.

"Will!" I yell. I rush to Will's side and hold his head. I can feel Raven wrapping her magic around me to keep me safe, but all I can do is start to cry. Arthur crouches on Will's other side.

"You saved my life?" he marvels at Will.

He starts to laugh but it quickly turns into a cough. "Yeah I don't know what I was thinking," he says.

"Come on, get him inside," Arthur orders. A bunch of men hurry over and help to lift Will and carry him into his house. They place him carefully on the table, and I place something under his head to make him more comfortable. After he is down, the men leave. Arthur, Gwen, Morgana, and my mother stay to watch as I cry over Will. "That's twice now I saved you," Will says to Arthur.

"Twice?" Arthur questions. He is thoroughly confused by this statement.

"It was me," Will nods his head several times. Almost like he is trying to convince himself it is a good idea to continue talking. "I'm the one that used the magic," he says to Arthur.

"Will don't," I start to tell him.

"It's alright. I won't be alive long enough for him to do anything to me," he says. "I did it," he looks up at Arthur again. "I saw how desperate things were becoming, and I had to do something," he explains. Arthur looks shocked, and is probably finding it hard to believe.

"You're a sorcerer?" he asks.

Will tries to laugh but it does not come out right at all. "Yeah," he is fading fast. It is getting harder for him to breath. "What are you going to do? Kill me?" he asks Arthur. Arthur puts his hand on Wills shoulder and spares a brief glance for me.

"No of course not," he says, before looking at me fully. "Do what you can for him," he leads the others out of the room and allows me to say good-bye. I can feel how sad my feelings are making Raven, but I need to feel them anyways.

RAVEN

I run as far as possible, but the sadness still invades me. The death of a friend is indeed a painful thing to deal with. I had no idea that you could be so close to another person without being romantically involved. I can tell the moment Will actually dies, and I throw my head back to cry to the sky. I let all of the emotions coming from Merlin out. It is the saddest song I have ever sung, and the forest goes quiet to listen. In the distance other wolves join in to sing about more happy things, but still the sadness grows. It becomes so overwhelming I am forced to block Merlin from my mind while he grieves.

It does not take long to make it back to the village, but now I am not being swamped by his emotions. No wonder they do not regret their short lives. Humans can feel so much more than I thought was possible for one being to feel. I keep a close eye on Merlin while they prepare a funeral pyre for Will. Once they set him on it, I withdraw completely from Merlin's mind. I do not want to be blinded by pain and sadness like that again. It was truly frightening. A small group is gathered to pay their respects to Will and they burn him. After a while, Arthur, Gwen and Morgana walk away. Hunith says something to Merlin before hugging him.

'_Raven_?' I can feel him searching me out mentally. Reaching for me. I let him draw me back into his mind.

'_Yes_?' I ask him innocently.

'_Where did you go? You left me entirely_,' he asks.

'_I am not used to so much emotion Merlin. I needed to block you out. I am sorry,_' I tell him.

'_We are leaving for Camelot. Are you coming with us_?' he asks.

'_Silly Merlin, you would be unable to shake me from you if you tried. I will join you,_' I assure him.

I catch up with their horse quickly enough, but have to drop back so they can ride without getting bucked off. I follow behind, and as the sun sets I join them at their campfire. Arthur looks up at me when I approach. "I thought she had run off," he admits.

"No she was just hanging back to avoid spooking the horses," Merlin says.

"Did you train her to do that?" Arthur asks. He seems impressed.

"No I think she did that on her own," Merlin says. He is beaming with pride, and I smack his knee with my tail. He rubs it absentmindedly.

"I think she is lovely," Gwen gushes. I wag my tail at her, but duck from her hand. I might enjoy the praise, but I do not want to be touched. She frowns a little.

"She probably just doesn't trust you," Merlin assures. Gwen nods her head at the thought. I feel Merlin touch my head lightly, and I look at him. He is smiling at me.

"Do you think Gaius will let her sleep with you?" Morgana asks.

"I don't see why she can't," Merlin says with a shrug. I lie down, and curl around Merlin's back. They talk for a while, but I tune them out, and let sleep take me. When Merlin gets up, I follow him sleepily to his bedroll. '_Goodnight Raven_,' he thinks at me. My only answer is a thump of my tail. I am asleep the moment I lie down. Far too much excitement.


	5. Chapter 5 Meeting Gaius

RAVEN

I can't wait to see Camelot for the first time. I can feel Merlin's amusement at my giddiness, but I feel like a thousand bugs are crawling across my skin. I can't bring myself to sit still for more than a few minutes at a time. I know my excitement is affecting Merlin because several times his horse breaks into a faster gait without any outward command to do so. Horses are so good at telling the truth about their riders. After the first night together the horses let me stay closer to them. They trust me just enough to not be bothered if I trot behind them.

'_Just up ahead through the trees you can see the towers of Camelot_,' Merlin tells me mentally. I feel like I'm about to jump out of my skin. I race ahead through the trees, and stop when I see the towers. They must be truly tall to be visible over such old trees. I wait for the others to catch up, and study the towers from afar. '_You can go closer without us you know?_' he suggests to me. I scoff at him mentally, and he chuckles. '_Yeah I know stupid idea right?_' he laughs. I really like his laugh.

'_Just hurry up, I want to get closer without being chased away_,' I send back to him. He must have said something to the others because they all come cantering towards me. I let them pass me, and race after them. I can feel Merlin's excitement and joy. This is a lot of fun. He waits for me with Gwen at the entrance into the lower town. Arthur and Morgana head to the main castle right away. Once I reach Merlin they dismount so I can walk between the two of them and the horses do not have to be close to me. After a few minutes my neck starts to hurt from trying to see everything around me all at once.

Every noise makes me whip around to see what made it. All the scents and sounds start to become overwhelming. "Do you think she will settle down after she's been here for a while?" Gwen asks Merlin. I jump as we pass a blacksmiths forge.

"She will get used to it. Not to mention how often I'm asked to go out into the woods to get things. She will not be cooped up in the castle for very long I can assure you of that. Calm down Shadow," he places a hand on my shoulder, and I relax immediately. Weird, I thought I would be kept with other dogs. Looks like I get to bunk with Merlin. We stop at Gwen's house after returning the horses to the stables.

After Merlin says goodbye to her, he heads to the castle. '_I can't wait to introduce you to Gaius_,' he tells me.

'_Who is Gaius_?' I ask him. I crane my head around to look at an odd looking piece of fruit.

'_He is the court physician, and sort of like a father to me_,' he explains.

'_Who is your father anyways?_' I ask him. '_I know your mother told me he had magic, but she didn't elaborate on anything else about the man_,' I tell him.

'_My father had magic as well?_' he asks in surprise.

'_You can't be born with magic as strong as yours unless one of your parents has magic Merlin. Not only that, but whoever your father is he is not a simple sorcerer. He has strong magic as well,_' I tell him. ' _Now what is that amazing smell?_' I ask him. He laughs.

'_Those would be the pigs_,' he tells me.

'_They smell so sweet and juicy_,' I tell him. I eye the pink animals and they freak. '_Yes very juicy I imagine. Am I allowed to eat those?_' I ask him.

'_NO you are not. Come on, before the owner of those pigs decides to chase us away with his pitchfork,_' he ushers me away from the squealing pigs.

'_They would go down so nicely though_,' I whine at him.

'_Gaius is waiting for me; please don't kill anyone's pigs. We can be locked up for that,_' He tells me.

'Fine, but I will sample one of those sweet looking pigs. Do you hear me? I will know if they taste as good as they smell,' I warn him.

'Perhaps there will be pig on the menu tonight and you can try some of it later,' he suggests.

'That sounds lovely. When would that be?' I ask him. He chuckles. I follow him through the maze like halls of the castle, until he stops in front of a simple wooden door. I can smell the herbs from out here, and when he opens the door the smells waft out like a cloud almost. It has been a very long time since I have entered the dwelling of a healer. The scent is a comforting one to be certain.

MERLIN

"Gaius?" I call as I push open the door. The old man in question looks up from a book he was reading. I smile at him, and he returns the look. Then he sees Raven behind me, and his smile turns into a deep frown.

"What is that Merlin?" he asks.

"She is a wolf. My mother found her before her eyes opened, and thought she would make a nice gift for me," I tell him.

"Merlin, we both know for a fact that she is no wolf. Wolves do not grow that big. Now are you going to tell me what it is or not?" he asks shrewdly. I put my bags down and sit across from him at the table.

'_I am a shifter, and you are a very clever old man Gaius_,' Raven transmits her thoughts so Gaius can hear them as well. His eyes get wide at the sound of her voice.

"I thought all shifters were killed during the great purge?" he asks. She mentally laughs.

'_Do you really think that men see a pack of wolves in the woods and think magic? Or even a family of bunnies and think that killing them is going to save the land from magic? We mostly live as animals, Gaius to avoid being found by men who seek to destroy us. Not many people know that wolves are smaller than me. That is the point of hiding after all. Now is that room back there safe?_' She asks. We both nod their heads. She grabs her bag, and hurries back to my room. Once inside she shifts.

When she comes back out, she is wearing simple breeches and a loose fitting tunic. Gaius looks at her in surprise as well as curiosity. "This will be better for talking," she explains. "After a while my voice will hurt your head," she tells Gaius. She perches on the bench next to me, and looks at Gaius.

"What are you looking at?" he asks.

"I thought that being a learned man you would have questions. You know about magic, so ask me anything you want to know. You will never have such an opportunity again. The only reason I am here at all is Merlin," She says.

Gaius thinks about this very carefully, before nodding his head. Almost like he was having a debate with himself over which questions he should ask her. "How long do shifters live?" he asks.

"Our average lifespan is about two hundred years, but when we bond with a witch or wizard, we live as long as our bonded lives. Should Merlin die tomorrow I would die as well," she tells him. He nods like he thought as much.

"What does it mean to bond with a witch or wizard?" he asks.

"It means that we create a mental bond. I can talk to Merlin without saying a word, and he can do the same. This mental connection, also allows us to monitor the feelings and physical state of the other. For example I can tell if he is hurt, or if he finds a certain lady pretty. This allows the shifter to keep tabs on their bond, and keep them safe. We bond to people who are aware of their magic, and can use it. We are thought of by the druids as protectors, but we try to avoid it," she tells us. This is actually really interesting.

"How do shifters produce offspring?" Gaius asks. And now I feel sick to my stomach.

"Well we need to stay in one form and carry to term or we will lose the child or children. Some prefer to have whole litters while others want to devote their attention to just one at a time. I was born alone, so my mother wanted to give me her entire attention. Although she was not very good at it. I think she wanted a boy, but instead got me. If we shift while we are carrying a child, it kills the baby or babies," she explains.

"That makes sense," Gaius nods his head. "How do you mate? Is there a certain order for who can mate and with whom?" he asks. I get up and leave. There is no way I want to hear about mating.

"Where are you going Merlin?" Raven asks me.

"To see if Arthur needs any help. This is not a topic I am comfortable with," I tell her. She nods her head, but turns back to Gaius.

RAVEN

"Normally you can mate with whoever you want. There might be for example a male in the tribe that is physically desirable. If a female is ready to carry a child she will seek out any male that pleases her. There is no rule about who can mate. Although my mother was the Alpha female, and so she got first pick of every guy in the tribe," I tell him. He seems really interested.

"Do you know how shifters first came into existence?" he asks.

"It is believed that the first shifter was a son destined to die. His father could not bear the thought of his child dying. He sought the help of a high priestess, and she bound his son to an animal. The side effect being that the boy could now change into that animal. He lived longer than his father and produced many children. All of them had the same ability to become an animal at will. Though the animal they could become depended on who they were, and what their inner animal was. Soon they started their own families and found that their children often ended up having the same animal inside of them," I tell him.

"How do you know all of this?" he asks.

"Because of the spell the high priestess used, the son became a creature of magic. That was passed down to his descendants, and so on. Being creatures of magic, and living as long as we do, we developed a generational spell. This allowed every shifter born to have a store of knowledge gathered by our ancestors. This helps the child to grow up faster and learn things better. It is easy to reach back and feel what it is like to walk and then to do it for you," I tell him.

"So how far back does this store of knowledge go?" he asks.

"Since the first shifter," I tell him. He thinks about my answer very carefully.

"So do shifters have different methods of medicine?" he asks. I chuckle softly.

"We have found medicinal uses for almost every plant. Even the ones you would consider to be poisonous. I personally was never any good at mixing the plants and herbs correctly, so I could not become a healer for my tribe," I tell him.

"I have a personal question. Is it alright if I ask it?" he asks.

"It depends on the question," I tell him.

"Have you ever mated with someone?" he asks. I look away from him and hug my stomach.

"No, Gaius I have not, and I most likely never will," I tell him. He has to lean forward to hear my soft whisper.

"Why?" he asks.

"Because I have bonded with Merlin. Because shifters live so much longer than humans, we reach puberty later in life. When we do reach puberty, we become very interested in sex because we can finally get pregnant. Being part animal that urge to produce off spring is very strong. If a shifter bonds before they reach puberty they cannot have children. We can still mate but nothing will ever come from it. I was due to hit puberty in a couple of weeks," I tell him. He looks sad for me.

"Why were you not with your tribe?" he asks. I look back up at him, and start shaking.

"I'd rather not answer that question if you don't mind," I tell him.

"Of course. You didn't have to answer any of my questions to begin with. Is everything all right? You're shaking?" he asks. He looks concerned now, and I relax.

"Yes Gaius. It's just that subject makes me very angry. I was trying not to jump up and start screaming," I tell him. He nods his head.

"How old are you?" he asks.

"That is a very rude thing to ask," I tell him. He holds up his hands.

"Yes you are quite right. I should have known better than to ask," he apologizes. I feel lighter than I have ever been.

"I will be fifty in a few weeks," I tell him. He looks surprised at that answer.

"You look far younger than fifty," he comments.

"I'm supposed to. Are there any other questions you had for me?" I ask him. He thinks about it very hard.

"I suppose the last question I have for today is: what is your name?" he asks. I smile.

"I really need to remember to introduce myself more often," I tell him. "My name is Raven, but as a wolf it is Shadow," I tell him.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," he says. "Do you have a place to stay?" he asks.

"Actually I was going to stay with Merlin," I tell him.

"That is hardly proper," he says.

"Even if most of the time I will be a wolf?" I ask. He thinks about that.

"I suppose it should be fine if you are staying as a wolf. It should be fine," he nods his head. I like Gaius. He is wise and kind hearted. Merlin is in very good hands here.

"Thank you Gaius," I tell him. He smiles at me, and I return the smile. The door behind me opens, and in walks a knight. Why do these men insist on wearing such heavy clothes? How can they even move around?

"Gaius, the king is requesting your presence in the council chambers," he says.

"Very well, Leon. I will be right there," Gaius gets up slowly, and heads to the council chambers. The knight can't seem to look away from me.

"Can I help you with something, sir Knight?" I ask him. He blushes, and stammers.

"No, I just . . . I should . . . Good-bye," he hurries from the room and I smile happily. That is always my favorite reaction from men. When they become shy and stammer. They are so cute and endearing. I get up and head back into Merlin's room. I think a nap will be nice. I shift and curl up on his bed. At least my life will not be boring. I close my eyes and let sleep steal me away.


	6. Chapter 6 Unicorn

MERLIN

'_Are you sure you want to come with us on the hunt? I'm sure Gaius would be happy to learn more about shifter history,_' I try to talk Raven into staying behind.

'_Merlin, if you try to talk me into staying behind again I will bite your horse. I am a Wolf. I live for the thrill of the hunt. I just hope that whatever Arthur gets today is brought back to the castle and eaten. I hate the thought of wasting food like that_,' she tells me. I think about what she said. I just nod at her. I do not want to fall off my horse because she bit him. She turns towards the castle steps as Arthur comes out. He is the last one to be ready. Probably talking to his father or something. He mounts the horse being held for him, and we head out into the woods. Raven keeps pace with my horse even at a canter. I am amazed that she can keep up, and not appear affected at all.

Arthur stops the small group of knights in a small clearing, and dismounts. He must have seen tracks of some kind. We wait to see if he wants to track what ever it is he's found. After a minute he motions for us to dismount as well, and we all swing down from the saddles. "We'll walk from here. There should be something nearby. Merlin can you tell shadow to stay with the horses? She can keep them safe without scaring anything away," Arthur suggests.

"I can try, but I cannot guarantee that she will listen," I answer him. He just nods and starts walking into the woods.

'_I don't want to stay with the horses Merlin_,' She tells me.

'_But it would be helpful. Besides I will be with Arthur and the knights the entire time I am away from you,_' I try to tell her.

'_NO! I came out here to hunt Merlin! I will not stay with the damn horses_!' she yells in my head. I wince and put a hand to my temple at the slight pain.

'_All right, but can you hunt away from us? That way Arthur thinks you are with the horses, and you can still enjoy yourself,_' I offer. She thinks it over. Her tail twitching with her annoyance, and her ears back as she thinks about the merits of my suggestion. While I wait for her to make a decision, I take this opportunity to study her. She has the cutest ticks when she is angry or nervous. Her tail twitches, and her ears jump around. Sometimes she scrunches up her nose in distaste over something. She is really adorable. I make sure she cannot hear what I am thinking because she will most likely get angry with me. She looks at me sharply, and I wait for her.

'_Fine, but if you so much as have a scratch on you when we meet back up, I will hurt you even more,_' she growls, and disappears into the woods in the opposite direction that Arthur took. I head after Arthur and feel like a packhorse as I carry all of the bags.

RAVEN

That stupid Merlin! How dare he try to give me commands like a lowly mutt! It doesn't take long for my anger to cool, and for me to really think about what was being asked of me. I could stay with the horses, but I shudder to think about what would happen if Merlin found out. He might become arrogant. He doesn't seem like the type, but I only just met him. I cannot guess at what type of person he is. I think about the real reason I did not want to stay with the horses and acted stubborn with Merlin. I can feel his attraction towards me every time I am in my human form. I do not mind his attention, but there is no urge on my part to respond to him. I have heard of shifters that bond after puberty, and they end up mating with their bond. I have even seen a couple of them, and they seemed just as happy as the shifter pairs.

So the issue is not that we are not the same, but that the urge just is not there. I could definitely sleep with him, but it would be unfair to him, and that would hurt me. What should I do about this situation? I will have to explain to him that I have no interest in him. It will hurt his feelings I'm sure, but it will hurt less than if we were to sleep together as humans. I turn around, and head back to the horses. I can't hunt right now, but I can at least say that I tried. Hopefully he won't see the lie for what it is. I sit under a bush on the edge of the clearing and watch the horses graze. How should I bring up the topic with Merlin? Should I start the conversation? I huff and close my eyes for a moment. I think I will talk to Gaius first and get his advice about how I should handle this. If he is always thinking about me as a romantic interest it will be distracting for me. We need to be able to work side by side no matter what form I wear. I also imagine that at some level I hate the idea of following orders. I never did like authority unless it was me doing the ordering.

I feel Merlin approaching before I hear or smell the group. When they enter the clearing Arthur is proud and boastful, and Merlin looks really upset. One of the knights is carrying a horn, and my insides freeze. '_Is that a unicorn horn?_' I ask Merlin mentally.

'_Yes_,' is all he says back. It feels like my breath catches and my heart stops.

'_Why did he kill a unicorn?_' I ask angrily. I get up and follow them as they return to Camelot.

'_Because he was hunting and that's what you do,_' he says angrily. I put my ears back.

'_Don't take that tone with me!_' I snap at him. He sighs, but relaxes a little.

'_Your right, I'm sorry. It's just that the unicorn was so beautiful_,' he says. I get an image of the unicorn through his thoughts, and blink away tears.

'_You are very lucky to have seen it. Camelot is in trouble though. There is a hefty price to pay for killing a unicorn, and Arthur may not be able to pass the tests,_' I tell him.

'_What tests?_' he asks.

'_We shall see. The tests vary for each person_,' I tell him.

'_How did your hunt go?_' he asks.

'_I didn't catch anything_,' is all I tell him. He just nods, before paying attention to the castle up ahead. I just hope my bag is still fully stocked.

MERLIN

I feel sick while I carry the severed unicorn horn on a pillow. Why did he have to kill such a beautiful creature? He happily shows his father, and for once Uther looks pleased with his son. Gaius cautions them, but it falls on deaf ears. Raven left my side when we rode into the courtyard, and headed straight up to Gaius's chambers. I can feel her searching for something, and her magic when she shifts. It is still amazing to be so close to someone. I follow Gaius back upstairs, and feel a hum, as we get closer to Raven.

There are bangs and curses when we stop outside the door, and I look at Gaius. He looks just as confused as I am. I push open the door, and watch as Raven closes a closet, and looks up at us.

"Merlin where did you put my bag?" she demands at me.

"It's in my room, why? Are you leaving?" I can tell I sound panicky, but I can't help it.

"No, but I need to make sure it is fully stocked," she saunters into my room, and I sigh. Whenever I see her in her human form my stomach gets butterflies, and it is hard to breath.

"Gaius I think there is something wrong with me," I tell him.

"What would that be?" he asks. I tell him the symptoms, and he chuckles at me. I frown, and that makes him laugh even more.

"What's so funny?" I ask him.

"From what you are telling me, it sounds like you are attracted to her physically. You might become attracted to her mentally as well, but for right now it is just when you see her human form," he tells me. He chuckles softly again.

"How is that funny?" I ask.

"Because I know something you do not. Before you ask there is no way I am going to tell you. That is a conversation the two of you need to have in private," he says before going to a cauldron to make a potion.

I turn around and head to Arthur's chambers. He should be almost ready for bed, and will need my help.

RAVEN

"Gaius, can I talk to you about something that has been bothering me?" I ask softly.

"Of course," he tells me. He indicates that I should sit down across from him. I nod my thanks and sit down.

"It's about Merlin," I tell him. He doesn't say anything and lets me talk. "I can feel that he is attracted tom, and I'm used to that. I get looks whenever I am anywhere near a healthy man. But I need to talk to Merlin about his attraction. It can never be anything more, mostly for his own protection," I tell him.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"Because I will never crave physical intimacy, the chances of us becoming closer through that would be very unlikely. If he commits himself to me only, the chances are there will end up being resentment. He'll want to be intimate, and I won't. It could cause issues that will jeopardize our safety," I tell him.

"So tell him this. The sooner the better," he tells me.

"How should I go about doing that?" I ask.

"Just tell him straight up. Don't beat about the bush. He'll understand. He might not use that head of his often but he is smart," he tells me.

"Okay, thank you Gaius," I tell him. He smiles, and I head back into Merlin's room. I can feel the curse starting to work it's way through Camelot. I check the spells on my bag once more, before shifting. I am more comfortable in this form. I fall asleep waiting for Merlin to come back from taking care of Arthur.


	7. Chapter 7 Anhora

MERLIN

"My horse threw a shoe, my saddle needs mending, my armor needs polishing, and . . ." Arthur looks over at me, but I am staring out the window. "What is wrong with you?" he asks. " Have you not heard a word I've said?" he asks with annoyance. I step away from the window with a sad face. I shake my head, and look at him. "Are you still upset about the unicorn? You've had a face like a wounded bear ever since we got back," he says. I don't really feel like saying anything. The door opens silently and Raven walks in. I immediately brighten up. She makes everything better.

"MERLIN!" Arthur sounds really annoyed now. I hurry over to the side of the bed he is sitting on to put his shoes on. "Do you see this?" he asks and forces my face closer to the ground. "These are rat droppings! MY chambers are infested!" he lets me up. "Find it and remove it," he storms out of his rooms.

'You don't look so good Merlin,' Raven comments while I clean up the droppings. She jumps up onto his messy bed and watches me closely.

"I'm just don't understand how he could kill something so beautiful," I tell her.

'Merlin, he is a hunter as am I. We hunt for excitement. Though I do not agree with him only taking the horn. That is just wrong. Also I would never try to take down a unicorn. They are so amazing to watch,' She tells me.

"Why do you find it enjoyable?" I ask while I am still in Arthur's chambers.

'It is a way to see if you are clever enough, or fast enough, or even strong enough to take down the prey that you are hunting. It is something that we had need of once upon a time. Did you know that?' she asks me. She follows me as I head down to the armory to polish Arthur's armor.

'What?' I ask her.

'Humans once had the need to hunt for everything. We didn't know how to raise animals or plant crops. We moved from place to place like nomads to survive. Then we learned and began to settle down and it progressed from there. The need to hunt is ingrained in most humans from that earlier life style. Some take to it like Arthur, but others don't see the point in it,' She explains.

'How do you know all of this?' I ask her.

'I have many memories from my previous ancestors. I can reach back to the first shifter ever and know what he knew. The first shifter ever was a nomad. His family moved from place to place to survive, and from what I understand that was normal for a very long time. I think about five generations after him humans started to settle down in places and claiming their territory. It gets kind of fuzzy around that time though. Almost like nobody thought of anything,' she says. She gets comfortable next to my feet while I get started on the armor. By the time I finish it is time for the midday meal. I head up stairs with Raven hot on my heels.

"Ah, there you are Merlin," Gaius says as soon as I enter his chambers.

"What's going on Gaius?" I ask him.

"A disease has spread through out the entire kingdom," he says. I look around his room, and outside in the courtyard.

"You seem rather calm about this," I tell him. He chuckles a little.

"It is only affecting plants," he says.

'I knew this would happen. Arthur is cursed,' Raven says simply. She relaxes beneath one of the tables to watch us.

"Can you fix it?" I ask him.

"I am trying to figure out what caused it," Gaius says sadly.

"What kind of disease can kill all of the plants in an entire kingdom over night?" I ask.

"It's not killing all of the plants. The trees and hedges around the fields are fine. Unfortunately you cannot eat trees and hedges," he explains.

"It's only killing the edible plants," I figure out. Gaius nods his head, and I sit down.

"The king has started to ration out what food is left, so that people can live a little longer with food. This will have to be solved quickly though," He says.

Raven gets up and pads out of the room, while I sit down for the meal Gaius prepared.

RAVEN

I walk around and watch as more and more people line up to get their ration of grain from the reserves in the castle. I weave in and out, playing with a sad child here or comforting an old lady there. They are sad and losing faith fast. I can at least make them smile for a moment. One persistent little girl manages to somehow get on my back. I look at her over my shoulder, and she gurgles at me. Her small hands are gripping my neck fur tightly, but she is enjoying herself. I walk slowly around the courtyard. Eventually the child's mother removes her from my back and takes the girl home. I smile fondly after the girl. I love children. I walk through town and see panic as people are trying to find missing animals. Uh-oh, I turn around as fast as possible and head back into the castle. It is never a good Idea to walk around a village when livestock has gone missing.

I stop when I see Gwen on her way to get water, and sidle up to her. She looks down and smiles at me. I can see Merlin coming closer as Gwen reaches the water pump. I rush over to him, and he smiles down at me. Gwen asks him about the crops.

"Merlin is it true what their saying about the crops? Their all dead?" she asks.

"We'll all have to start tightening our belts," he tells her as he moves to walk on.

"I'm sure Arthur will think of something," she says. I look up at her. She has so much faith in Arthur. She is even starting to love the man but I do not think that she knows this about herself.

Merlin says something in return, but I do not catch exactly what he says. I follow Merlin as he walks away. Soon however Gwen calls Merlin back. We rush back to where she is pumping, but instead of water as it should have been. Sand is pouring out of the pump, and into the bucket. I growl a little. This is a very bad thing. People can live without food, but they will die within a week without water. He takes the bucket up to his room, and I make myself comfortable on his bed. He pulls out the book of spells that Gaius gave to him. I watch him closely, as he tries spell after spell. I go through the spells I know, but I do not know of any that would work when the curse of the unicorn is the cause. Gaius comes in, and Merlin gets all flustered at being caught with his book out.

"I was hoping you might be trying to turn it back into water," Gaius tells Merlin. "I know I've cautioned you against using magic, but if ever there was a time for you to use it, it would be now," he says.

"I wish I knew how. I've tried everything," Merlin tells him. "If it is magic, it is more powerful magic than I possess," he tell Gaius.

"Is there anything you can do?" Gaius asks me.

'No Gaius, my magic cannot undo the curse of the unicorn. That is something only the cursed person can do. We do not know who that is yet. The keeper of the unicorns should deliver a message soon,' I tell them. They look down at the bucket of sand and wish they could turn it back into water.

I stay close to Merlin the rest of the day. He ends up staying in Arthur's chambers really late trying to catch the rat. I laugh at his antics, but he is getting really mad. He finally gives up and heads back to Gaius. To get there though he has to go through the courtyard, and Arthur stops him.

"Merlin. You realize there's a curfew," he tells him.

"Yeah, I was in your chambers hunting for the rat," Merlin tells the Prince.

"Did you find it?" he asks.

"No," Merlin says.

"So you have been out witted by a rat," Arthur says.

"They do say that rats are very intelligent," Merlin tells Arthur. I look back and forth between the two and smile happily. They are so adorable.

"More intelligent than you it would seem. Go home, it would be embarrassing to have to lock up my own servant for breaking the curfew," Arthur tells Merlin. Just then Arthur spots Anhora. "What was that," he gives chase. They get down into the dungeons that loop around, and he tries to sign his plans to Merlin. They just go right over his head. I sit down on the stairs, and watch as Merlin tries to follow Arthur. "This means you go that way and cut him off," Arthur snaps at Merlin. I chuckle to myself. They make such a good team that Arthur cannot see it. Arthur goes to the right while Merlin goes to the left. I stay on the stairs. It doesn't take them long before they come back to the stairs.

"Where is he?" Arthur asks.

"I don't see anyone," Merlin tells him.

"He was right here. Don't tell me you let him get past you," Arthur says sternly.

"Arthur, No one went past me," Merlin yells at him.

"Are you blind?" he asks.

"Are you looking for me?" Anhora asks the two of them. They both look over at the old man, and I smile at him. It has indeed been a long time since I saw the old man. Merlin and Arthur look so funny. They are both wearing similar looks of surprise at seeing Anhora. "I am Anhora, Keeper of the Unicorns," he tells Arthur.

"Camelot is under curfew what's your business here?" Arthur asks Anhora. He gets over his shock the fastest.

"I have come to deliver a message," Anhora tells them. My stomach drops a little. No, do not say the message is for Merlin. He would never have killed the unicorn, but then he was right next to it when it happened. I never did learn who actually shot the poor creature.

"And who is this message for?" Arthur asks.

"It is for you Arthur Pendragon," Anhora says simply. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

"Is it you who is responsible for killing our crops and turning our water into sand?" Arthur asks. He approaches Anhora, and gives off an angry vibe.

"You, and you alone are responsible for the misfortune that has befallen Camelot," Anhora tells him.

"Me? You think I bring draught and famine upon my own people?" he is getting very angry now.

"When you killed the unicorn, you unleashed a curse. For this Camelot will suffer greatly," Anhora explains. Just as I said it would. Why does no one ever listen to me? Oh, yeah, that's right. Only a few can actually hear me at all.

"If you have put a curse on Camelot, you will lift it or you will pay with your life," Arthur threatens. I shake my head. Didn't he hear what Anhora said?

"The curse is not my doing," Anhora tries to tell the prince once more.

"Undo the curse, or face execution," Arthur is almost right in his face now.

"Only you can do that. You will be tested,"

"Your under arrest," Arthur tries to grab Anhora by the shoulder but he disappears. He reappears directly behind me, and I jump away from him. Just because it has been a while does not mean I want him close to me.

"Until you have proven yourself, and made amends for killing the unicorn, the curse will not be lifted. If you fail any of these tests Camelot will be dammed for all eternity," Anhora tells them.

I follow Merlin back up to his room. He snuggles me close to him, and I relax. I really need to talk to him and soon, but when? I close my eyes and drift off on a cloud of sleep. When I wake up, Merlin is in the other room and talking with Gaius. I shift and put some clothes on. What I am about to share with them is a big bonus.

"You made tea out of my bath water?" Merlin asks Gaius. I wrinkle up my nose.

"Do not drink that. You might get sick if not from the soap than from Merlin," I tease. Merlin looks a little sad by that but I sit down next to him on the bench.

"We have no water, and very little food," Gaius tells me.

"You'll be fine. You do not need to drink that tea," I tell them as I start rooting through my bag. I pull out loaf of bread, and hand it over.

"Where did you get that?" Gaius asks me in surprise.

"I always carry food in my bag. There are charms to protect its contents from water, and rot, and spells of any kind or nature. What I have in my bag cannot be ruined by the curse. Here have some water. I always carry around like six skins," I hand each of them a full water skin, and they greedily drink it down. I also put a few apples on the table next to the bread. They eat it eagerly.

"Thank you so much Raven," Merlin says happily. I smile at him.

"Oh, Merlin, don't get too happy. I will make you pay me back for the things I am giving you. Now eat up. There is work to be done and not a lot of time to do it. You need to convince Arthur that what Anhora said last night is true. Otherwise when he gets tested he might fail. He needs to pass or my small supply will not last very long," I tell them.

"Leave that to me," Merlin says around a mouth full of food.

"Swallow before you start talking Merlin. I did not want to see that," I tell him. He blushes, and I curse myself. I really need to talk to him, but it can wait until the unicorn's curse is lifted. I can feel Gaius watching me, and I avoid his eyes. This is already going to be hard enough for me to do with out him pressuring me with looks like that. I sigh and hide my bag.

"What are you doing?" Merlin asks.

"I am making sure no one decides that they need a little extra snack. You two can put away my entire store without batting an eye. I eat far less than either of you. I need to make sure what I have lasts as long as it needs to," I tell them. Once the bag is safely hidden, I shift and follow Merlin as he heads to Arthur's chambers. This is going to be a very long day.


	8. Chapter 8 Grain

**RAVEN**

I love using Arthur's bed in the morning. It is just so amzingly soft and warm. I watch as he complains to Merlin about the rat chewing a hole in his boot. I grin to my self at his antics. He is very upset about what Anhora said to him last night and so he is taking his anger out on the nearest target. That target just happens to be my Merlin. I make a mess out of the princes sheets while they argue about whether Arthur is responsible for the draught and famine that the unicorn curse has brought upon Camelot. "I think I've figured out what Anhora's next move is going to be, and we are going to be there when he makes it,"Arthur annonces and strides from the room. I leap off of the bed, and follow the two out of the room.

We end up sitting in the lower levels of the castle where the grain is stored, and waiting for Anhora to make his move. Arthur is a lot smarter than I originally gave him credit for. '_Merlin, since we are going to be sitting here for a while do you think we could talk for a little_?' I ask him.

'_Of course Raven_,' he smiles down at me, and waits for me to start.

' _I know that you like me more than a friend_,' I tell him. His face burns a little, but he does not intterupt. '_But I do not share those feelings for you, Merlin. To me you are like the brother I never had, or rather never knew about until now. We are still in an awkward stage in this relationship. I can say with certainty that I will never be able to return your feelings in the way that you would like me to. Do you understand what I am saying_?' I tell him slowly.

'_So what your saying is that if I don't get over you, I will never be able to have a romantic relationship ever in my life_?' he reasons out.

'_Yes that sounds correct. I do apologize for this, but this is how things ended up. I may come to love you like a close sibling, but it will only be familial feelings_,' I tell him.

'_I can live with that. It will take me some time to get over these feelings, but it's not like I can push you away. I'm stuck with you till the day I die, so I need to get over this, and quickly_,' he says. I know he is still young, but I can sometimes see the mature man he will be one day. it is rare, but he is going to be a very great man. '_I think I will take a quick nap. I didn't get much sleep last night,_' he tells me, as he tries to get comfy on the floor. I fall asleep as well curled up around his feet. I jump as Merlin jerks forcefully. When I look around I see that Arthur woke Merlin up in a very rude way.

"Don't you worry about keeping watch Merlin, you just make yourself comfortable," Arthur says. He is annoyed with Merlin and I notice now that Merlin is sucking his teeth. It has been all day since he last had a drink. "And stop sucking your tongue, it's annoying," Arthur grumbles.

"I'm thirsty," Merlin whines.

"We're all thirsty,Merlin," the prince snaps back at my Merlin.

**MERLIN**

I stand in the doorway on the opposite side of the room from Arthur. Why he could'nt assign a knight to do this with him, I have no clue. Raven leans against my leg gently. I know I need to get over these feelings, but they just keep growing. How do you ignore something this powerful? "Psst, someones coming," Arthur calls me over to him, and I hury to see what he is talking about. He paces a hand on my chest, and leans away from the edge of the wall. He does not want whoever just came down here to know that they are being watched. As soon as he says it is safe, we follow the person the the grain reserves.

At the doorway we pause long enough for Arthur to ltel me what he wants me to do with hand signals. Apparently he wants me to go around the collumn and make sure this person cannot get by. Raven stalks with me to ensure the person does not walk past us.

"Come out before I run you through," Arthur demands. slowly the man eases out from behind the collumn, and holds the shovel out from his side. Arthur looks completely bewildered. "Who are you?" Arthur asks.

He looks like a simple peasant, and even stutters a little when he sees who is pointing a sword at him. "m-m-my n-na-name is" the man tries to say.

"Speak up," Arthur Orders.

"My name is Evan , my lord," the peasant finally gets out.

"And you think you can help yourself to our Grain reserves?" Arthur asks. "My father has ordered that looters be executed," Arthur warns the man in front of him.

"Please my ord, I do not steal for myself. I have three children, they have not eaten for two days. They are hungry," Evan pleads with Arthur. I can tell the moment he mentions children that Arthur is nt going to kill the man.

"It's the same for everyone," Arthur tells him.

"I know that it is wrong to steal," he says softly. "I can't bear to see them starve," He admits to the prince.

"And could you bear for your children to see you be executed?" Arthur asks him seriously. Evan starts shaking his head, and looks to be fighting off tears. I feel for him. "Then you should go home," Arthur tells the man and steps out of his way. Evan looks shocked, but his face no longer looks like he will burst into tears. "If you are caught stealing again I will not spare you," Evan smailes brightly at Arthur.

"Yes my lord," he sounds breathless. "Thank you," he places the bag of grain back on the pile, and returns the shovel to it's proper place and turns to leave. He almost makes out of the reserve when Arthur speaks up.

"Wait," Evan looks at the prince expectantly, and waits for him to continue talking. Arthur picks up the grain Evan was going to steal, and tosses it to the man. he catches it and looks back to Arthur. "Use it sparingly, it might be the last food you and your family get for some time," Arthur tells Evan.

"You have shown yourself to be merciful and kind my lord. This will bring it's own reward," Evan smiles secretly at Arthur before leaving the castle. I look after him with suspicion.


	9. Chapter 9 Failure

**MERLIN**

I wake up stiff. Man I need to stop letting Arthur keep me awake at night. This is getting ridiculous. Raven sighs, and wiggles closer to me in her sleep. I smile at her, and run my hand trough her thick fur. She croons, and opens one eye to stare at me. _'Why did you wake me up_?' She asks. Even her mental voice is sleepy.

"I didn't mean to wake you up. I'm sorry, but I need to get up and go take care of Arthur," I tell her. She yawns, before rolling away from me. I get up, and slowly get dressed. By the time Gaius pokes his head in, I am redy for the day.

**RAVEN**

The surge of magic is what catches my attention first. That is followed very quickly with the scent of fresh water. So what Evan said last night was true. Arthur is being rewarded with water for letting him go with food. I can tell when the people notice that thereis water again. They gradually start to become louder and louder. I decide to get up around lunch time and pad silently out of Merlin's room. I wonder around the city of Camelot all day with no real destination in mind. Around dinner time I head to Arthur's chambers. Inside I can hear a lot of commotion, so I push open the door to see Merlin being forced to eat something.

'_What is that_?' I ask him.

'_Rat_,' Merlin tells me. I pad a little closer and sniff at the bowl.

'_Did you cook it_?' I ask him.

'_Yes, though Arthur thinks he is so much better than others and refuses to eat it_,' Merlin complains to me.

'_Can I try a little of it_?' I ask. I place my paws on the table and sniff his plate.

Arthur glares at me slightly, but Merlin gives me a taste. I chew it slowly and contemplate the flavor. '_It is very stringy, but when your really hungry it is doable. I will keep this in mind on the road should we ever be desperate enough to eat it_,' I tell him. He smiles at me.

"See Arthur it isn't that bad. You should suck it up and eat more of it," Merlin tries to bait the prince into eating more rat. Arthur flat out refuses.

"She is a dog. There is no way her taste buds are better than mine," he reasons. someone knock on the door and Arthur tells them to come in.

Morgana pokes her head into the room, and smiles shyly at Arthur. "Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you had any food?"She asks. Merlin smiles at Arthur who has a very odd look on his face.

"Sorry Morgana, but I don't think you would like what Merlin made. He finally caught the rat that has been terrorizing my room and cooked it,"Arthur tells her.

"Can i try it anyway? I am really hungry," She asks. Arthur nods his head, and she hurries to the table. She ends up eating most of the food that Merlin made, and thanks Arthur. "It may not be the most delicious thing, but food is food," she says, before excusing herself. I grin at Arthur. Now who looks foolish? the cook or the bafoon that refused to eat when he was starving?

"Remember, Merlin that we are going into the forest tomorrow to look for Anhora," Arthur reminds him before closing the door in his face.

'_Why didn't you tell me_?' I ask him.

'_You didn't ask that is why_,' he chuckles at my annoyance.

'_How would you feel if I told you that I will be leaving in a few days_?' I ask him.

"What?" he yells out loud.

_'See, it is not a pleasant feeling is it? You should have brought this plan to my attention before you made it with Arthur_,' I scold him.

_'Why?_' he ask in confusion.

_'Because you blockhead. My only job in the whole world is to keep you alive. How can I do that if you don not keep me updated about what you are doing?_' I ask him.

_'Your right of course. Sorry that I didn't tell you sooner_,' he thinks softly.

_'You shoud be. I will not help you though. I want to stay and help Gwen pass out some food to others. With any luck the people will have food by tonight,_' I tell him. He nods his head and opens the door for me. I pull the blankets up for Gaius, and follow Merlin into the bedroom. _'Good night my warlock,'_ I tell him.

_'Goodnight my shadow_,' he murmurs. we cur up on his bed together and I et slepp wash over me in waves.

**MERLIN**

"What exactly am I looking for?" I ask Arthur.

"Your looking for foot prints, broken branches, anything that would indicate that someone has passed through the area recently," He explains. "Merlin!"He yells I look up qiuckly. he is running somewhere. "Merlin! He's here!" he yels. I race after him, and make a split second decision when the small trail splits. Unfortunately, by the time I catch up with him he has failed the test.

Apparently Evan was not as nice a guy as we originally thought he was. He was a thief and had a whole horde of food. When he started to insult Arthur he lost his temper and fought with the thief. As he struck the killng blow Evan disappeared and Anhora appeared to give Arthur some bad news. We ride back to Camelot in sience, and I listen as Raven scolds me for being alone in the woods.


	10. Chapter 10 The Labyrinth

MERLIN

"Are you sure these are safe to eat?" I ask Gaius.

"Quiet safe. They say they taste like chicken," He tells me.

_'What the hell are you two fools doing_?' Raven asks. I look over at her.

"Gaius wants to see if these beetles are safe to eat," I explain to her. She shakes her head, and disappears into my room. I can feel the powerful magic she uses, and a few seconds later she comes out as herself and carrying her bag.

"If you are hungry you should tell me, so I can get my bag of food. Now will you please put those nasty bugs down andeat normal food?" She asks. I gladly drop the beetle, and she sits next to me. She hands out portions that seem bigger than the last ones.

"I thought you needed to ration out the food?" I ask. Gaius is eating the soft bread she gave to him.

"The curse shall be lifted soon. I do not fear we will run out before than. Merlin what you need to do is seek out Anhora, and ask him to give Arthur another chance to save his people. I will take care of Arthur tonight, so once you finish eating you need to go," she explains to me.

"Is that really a good idea though? What if he screws up again?" she glares at me and smacks the back of my head.

"If you continue to doubt that he has what it takes, than he will continue to fail. You need to have faith in him at all times. He needs to know that at least one person in his life will never stop believing in him. Do you think you can be that person?" shae asks me. I think about it, before smiling at her.

"Yes, I think I can do that. Thank you Raven for talking some sense into me," I grab the bread and leave.

RAVEN

"Do you think he will keep that pep talk in ind from now on?" Gaius asks.

"He better or he will get more than a slap to the head," I tell him. He chuckles, and I hand him a lovely red apple.

"Does that bag of yours actually have a bottom?" he asks.

"Yes, it does, but it takes a while to find it," I smile at him.

"How are you going to take care of Arthur? I do not think he would allow a woman to prepare him for bed," Gaius questions.

"Tell him that Merlin is else where, and I will simply bring him food as my canine alter ego," I tell him. I take my bag back into Merlin's room, and hide it again, before shifting. I put together a basket, and carry it to Arthur's room. Gaius knocks on the door, and when the prince calls for him to come in, we both enter the opulant room.

"Hello Gaius, where is Merlin?"He asks immediatley.

"I am truly sorry, but I needed him to run an errand for me,so we have brought your dinner," the physician tells him. he sits up a little straighter in his seat.

"I do not deserve food," he grumbles, but his eyes still travel to the covered basket in my mouth.

Merlin bursts into the room, and hurries over to Arthur. He winks at me as he walks past me. "Arthur, I went to the woods and talked to Anhora. He is willingto give you another chance if you go to the Lbyrinth of Gedref. There you will face another challenge," He tells the prince eagerly. Arthur jumps into action immediatly.

"Than I have to go now," He reaches for his armor, and I pace the basket on the floor. I growl and bark at him angrily. He looks at me, and I pick up the basket again. I whine, and wag my tail as I place the basket on the table.

"Sire, you should eat first. Otherwise you will not have the strength to complete the test," Merlin reasons outloud to the prince.

"Alright, but what could a dog bring me that I would like?" he removes the cloth that was covering the food, and looks at me startled. It is a plump juicy rabbit, that the kitchens skinned and cooked for me. They also boiled some potatoes and smeared them with butter. al in all it is a small feast fir for a prince. It is simple and easy, yet at the same time healthy and filling. Just what he needs when he heads out to face a test. he digs in and savors every bite. Almost as an afterthought he pulls a strip of meat off the bones, and holds it out for me. I take it gently and lick his hand as thanks for the treat. he smiles at me happily, and continues eating.

"Arthur, I think I should go with you," Merlin suggests. I look around the room. When did Gaius leave?

"No Merlin, I need to do this by myself. It is my fault that this curse has been brought down upon Camelot. I will do this or die trying," he says stubbornly. Judging by the look on Merlin's face he does not plan on listening to Arthur. I shake my head at his antics.

MERLIN

"Arthur, please let me go with you," I plead with him. "You don't know what form the test might take, and I might be able to help," I try to persued him.

"No, Merlin," he says. Once he has his armor on he storms out of his rooms. I watch him leave, before following after him. As long as he does not know I am following him, than he can't send me back. I make sure that I stay back several hundred feet. I have to stay back far enough to see Arthur, but still be able to hide before Arthur sees him.

I watch from afar as Arthur enters the Labyrinth, and I race i after him. Unlucky for me, I do not take the same path that he took. "You know Merlin this is a very bad idea. You should not be here at all," Raven says behind me. I jump, and turn to look at her.

"What are you doing here as you?" I ask her.

"I am here because I know for a fact that you are going to be stupid and risk your life for Arthur's. I need to make absolutely certain that you survive this ordeal," She says with irritation. "Now follow me, and I will get you to Arthur," She takes the lead, and we move at a very brisk pace. After a few minutes, we reach the center of the maze, and see Anhora standing there with a sword.

"You said that Arthur would face a test, yet here you are setting a trap for him," I yell at him. How could e betray us like this?

"The trap is not for Arthur, but for you Warlock,"Anhora says, and vines start to wind their way up my legs.

"Raven, help me," I plead. I look up at her, and see she and Anhora are talking about something.

RAVEN

"Don't lie to me Anhora. Is he going to be safe no matter what happens?" I ask him softly. Merlin is starting to panic, but I need to make sure he is not in any lasting danger.

"Yes shifter, even if Arthur fails, your warlock will survive this test," he promises me. I study his eyes, and nod, before turning back to Merlin. He is totally wrapped in vines now.

"Sorry Merlin, but Anhora needs your help to give Arthur his final test," I tell him.

"What if I die?" He asks me.

"I will not let that happen Merlin. As it stands right now your lifeis not in any danger. So there is no need to worry. I will talk to you again after Arthur passes the test. Remember that you need to have faith in him at all times," I shift back into a wolf, and pad in the direction of the exit. I eventually find Arthur, and helphim find the way out as well.

"Thank goodness. I am glad to see a familiar face. Just don't tell Merlin how scared I was al right?" He asks. I look up at him and show off all of my lovely sharp teeth. He smiles as well. "If I die Raven, I want you to know, even if you don't understand a word I am saying, that the meal you brought to me was the best I have ever had. Thank you verymuch for it," He kneels next to me and wraps his arms around my neck. I lick his cheeck as he pulls away, and lead him to the beach. It doesn't take long to find Merlin sitting at a table waiting for us. He glares a little at me, but it does not reach his eyes.


	11. Chapter 11 Curse Lifted

MERLIN

"Merlin?" Arthur asks.

"I'm sorry Arthur," I tell him.

He turns attention to Anhora. "Let him go," he demands. "I'll take your test, but not until he is released," he tries to reason with Anhora.

"That is not possible. Merlin is part f the test," Anhora tells Arthur. he indicates the seat across from me. "Please sit," he asks. "If you refuse the test it is the same as failing the test, and Camelot will be doomed," he tells him. Arthur reluctntly sits down across from me.

"I thought I told you to stay at home," Arthur says. "Lets get on with it," Arthur turns his attention back to Anhora.

"There are two goblets before you. One of the goblets contains a deadly poison, the other goblet, a harmless liquid. All the liquid from both goblets must be drank, but each of you can only drink from a single goblet," Anhora explains.

"What kind of ridiculous test is that? what does that prove?" Arthur asks nastily.

"What it proves is for you to decide. If you pass the test, the curse will be lifted," Anhora tells him. I watch Arthur's face as he thinks over the problem at hand.

"Let's think about this," I tell him. "What if I drink from my goblet first?" I suggest.

"If it's poisoned you'll die," Arthur says.

"And if it's not than you'll have to drink from yours and you'll die," I tell him. "There must be a way around it," I lean forward and look at the goblets.

"It's perfectly simple, one of us has to die," Arthur reasons. I glance over at Raven who is sitting a few feet away, and watching me closely. No matter what happens she will not let me die. But than I cannot let Arthur die. "We have to find a way to determine which one has the poison, and than I'll drink it," Arthur says. I look up at that.

"I will be the one to drink it," I tell him.

"This is my doing, I'll drink it," he says.

"It's more important you live. you are the furture king and I'm just a servant," I tell him.

"This is no time to be a hero," he says. "It really doesn't siut you,"

I sigh and shake my head as I try to think a way around Arthur dying. "What if I drink from mine first, and if it is not poisoned than i will than drink yours," I suggest. Raven growls at me, but stays silent. Arthur looks over at Anhora.

"He said that each of us is only allowed to drink from a single goblet," he reminds me. I lok at Anhora as well. He is standing there calmly and watching as thetwo of us figure out what to do. I sigh again and look back at the goblts in front of us. "I had no idea you were so keen to die for me," Arthur says.

"Trust me I can hardly believe it myself," I tell him. Arthur chckles at that and lowers his head a little.

"I'm glad your here Merlin," He says softly. He is looking at me through his lashes. He sighs and the idea comes to me.

"I've got it. We pour all of the liqiud into one goblet so than we can be sure it's poisoned. Than all the liquid can be drunk and it will be from a single goblet, " I tell him.

"You never cease to surprise me. Your a lot smarter than you look," he says. he has a small smile on his face.

I lean away from him and grin. "Is that actually a complimant?" I ask him. He looks at me, before shifting his gaze behind me. He points and warns me to look out. I whip around to see what it is. When I look back at him, he is pouring the liquid into one goblet. "No I will drink it," I tell him. Raven stands up, and growls loudly. Arthur glances at her, but only for a second.

"As if i'd let you," he says seriously.

"You can't die, this isn't your destiny," I try to tell im.

"It seems your wrong again, Merlin," he says.

"Listen to me," I try, but he cuts me off.

"You know me Merlin. I never listen to you," he smiles. he is truing to build up the courage to drink the liqiud. He lifts the goblet to me, and drinks it.

"Artur!" I start to panic. "No, what have you done," we hold eye contact with each other, until he fall backwards off his seat. I get up and hurry around. "Arthur," I shake him, and try to get him up again. "Arthur, cme on. come one get up. Arthur," he remains completely still. I look up as Anhora comes closer. "Please, please, Just let me take his place," I beg him. I can feel Raven getting upset with me.

"This was Arthur's test not yours," he tells me.

"You've killed him,"I yell at him. "I was supposed to protect him, and you've killed him,"

"He is not dead," he says to me. I blink at him in confusion.

"What?" I ask. surely I did not hear him correctly.

"He has merely ingested a sleeping draft. He'll come around shortly," he explains.

"I don't understand," I tell him.

"A unicorn is pure of heart, so when you kill one you must also prve that you are pure of heart. He was willing to die for you, he has proven what was truly in his heart. The curse will be lifted," He says. I nod, and he vanishes. Raven sits next to me.

'_I knew you would not die_,' She cooes in my head.

"But Arthur cuold have died," I tell her.

'_He is not my concern, you are. It will mean nothing to me when he dies, but if you die, I die with you. When you offer to die for someone, now you are not just offering your life, but also mine. Think more carefully Merlin, or I shall have to restrain you somewhere where you will be safe for the rest of your days. I will not tell you again_,' She stands and moves away from us. I watch as she sits at the entrance to the Labyrinth.

'_What are you doing_?' I ask her.

_'I must help yu back through the Labyrinth, but I do not feel like being next to you right ow you bafoon_,' she remarks.

RAVEN

I watch from the Labyrinth mouth as Arthur wakes up, and they talk breifly. I thought he understood that our lives are joined together. If he dies than I die as well. Why does he continue to insist that he die for Arthur? there has to be a better way for him to keep Arthur safe surely? They make their way over, and I stretch. "There you are girl. Were you worried?" Arthur asks me. I look up at him, and cock my head to the side. I grin, and jump on him. I would miss him should he die. He remains standing, and pets me. I just need to keep Merlin alive though.

"Arthur, we should get going. I am sure the others at Camelot will be worried about us," Merlin says. I peak at him, and he looks sullen.

"Alright, Shadow, get down girl. I'm not going to die today. Come on, can you show us the way out?" He asks. I look at him. Why is he so interested all of a sudden? I turn around and start walking back to where I can smell the horses. Seriously, why is he talking to me more?

"Arthur what's going on with you and Shadow? I thought you didn't like her," Merlin asks.

"Well, I realized earlier that she is very smart, and she is a very good looking wolf. I have honestly never seen a solid black wolf of he size. Do you know she is at least two times bigger than the average wolf?" Arthur tells Merlin.

"But why are you getting so friendly with her?" Merlin asks again.

"Are you worried that I am trying to take her away from you?" he teases Merlin.

"No, but it is weird watching you talk to her," he admits. I keep my eyes forward, and pretend that I have no idea what they are syaing.

"If you want the truth, than I will tell you. You love her right? She is going to be with you whenever we go on trips or something, so I figured that if she is going to always be close by, than I should not be a stranger to her. If I treat her nicely, than she will not be as stand offish around me right?" He figures out loud. I roll my eyes at his confusing explanation. good thing they can't see it, because Merlin would have laughed. Once we reach the horses, I race ahead of them to Camelot. I need to think about how to get it through his thick skull that he's living for two now. Why are men so pig headed, and only think about themselves? I beat them back to Camelot. I am glad to see that the grain has all grown again, and is being harvested. I weasel my way into Gwen's house and curl up under her bed. That way she will not step on me when she comes in after dark.

MERLIN

"Arthur, Merlin, I have great news. The crops have all grown again, and they are bringing in the harvest as we speak,"I just smile at the joy Gaius is having.

"I assume that this is your doing," Uther asks his son. "Is the sorcerer dead than?"

"He will not be bothering Camelot again," Arthur says. Uther nods.

"Restock the reserve," He walks away.

Arthur looks around, before turning to me. " There is something we have to do first," He races into the castle, and comes back out with the horn from the unicorn. We ride back out to the woods, and I help him to build a shrine for the horn. "I'm sorry. I should never have killed you,"he gently places the horn into the depression, before putting rocks over it. I look up, and stop moving.

"Arthur," I whisper. he looks up as wel, and catches his breath. The unicorn is standing a few feet away. It watches us a bit longer, before walking away. I release a breath, and smile down at Arthur. He has a mystified sort of look on his face. I smle, but in the back of my mind I can still feel how upset Raven is with me.

'_Raven_?' I ask carefully.

'_What is it now Merlin? Do you want to attempt to slay a dragon by yourself?_' She snaps back.

_'I'm sorry that I wasn't thinking about you as well when I offered to take his place,'_I tell her. I can feel her sigh.

'_I can't stay mad at you forever Merlin. Just give me tonight, and I will see you bright and early in the morning. Just try to say alive until than_,' She teases. I can already feel her anger slipping away from her. I relax, and follow Arthur aback to the castle. Hopefully nothing else happens between morning and now to make her mad at me again.


	12. Chapter 12The Questing Beast and a fight

RAVEN

'_NO MERLIN YOU CAN NOT GO_!' I growl at him. He turns to face me as he prepares for the hunt he apparently needs to go on.

"And why pray tell me am I not allowed to go and help my king on his hunting trip?" He asks with annoyance.

'_I promised to stay here and help Gaius long before you agreed to go hunting. You must stay here,_' I tell him sternly.

"Than just stay here and help Gaius," He says with a shrug and continues to get ready. After a few minutes of thinking it over I shift and get right in his face. I stop when we are nose to nose, and stare deep into his Blue eyes. His cheeks steadily grow more and more red.

"You must promise me Merlin that if anything happens you will turn tail and run away," I tell him.

"Sure," He says with an almost off handed manner. I press closer.

"No Merlin you need to promise me," I demand of him. He swallows and clears his throat. He is so much fun to tease and play with.

"I promise you Raven, that should anything happen on this hunting trip I will turn tail and runaway," He says seriously. I smile, and start to pull away when the door opens. Merlin jumps away from me with tomato red cheeks and stutters out an explanation to Gaius. I just close my eyes and smile. He is so cute when he is flustered. I remain in my human shape as I sit down with Gaius to help him with preparing herbs. It doesn't take long before fear courses through my link with Merlin. Leave it to him to get into trouble within the first five minutes. I grin when I feel him running and smile when he trips. I wonder what he is running from? My question prompts me to see the massive beast after Merlin. I swear and stand up quickly. Why the fucking hell is he being chased by a Questing Beast?

"Raven what is the matter?" Gaius asks.

"Merlin has found himself face to face with a Questing Beast. The damn fool is lucky that Arthur went back for him," I tell him while I pace back and forth.

"Please sit down, when they return you can yell at them all you want," He says simply.

"Oh I had no plans to yell at anyone," I tell him simply. I take a seat and watch as he tries ti figure out what I want to do to Merlin when he returns.

"Will you tell me what you plan to do?" He asks.

"I want to give him a hug, and than chain him up in the dungeaons. If he can not move around than he cannot get into trouble," I tell him simply.

"Why the hug then?" He asks.

"Because he ran away just like he promised he would do," I tell him. He smiles and nods.

"That is good news then, now look here and see how the root is starting to become slightly white instead of tan?" He asks and I focus on what he is trying to teach me. Merlin had better hurry home so I can ensure that nothing like this will ever happen again.

MERLIN

I peek around some corners, but I canot see her. I can tell that she is planning something, but I need to know what it is. It feels like she is down in the dungeons, but I have no clue why she would be down there. I can't recall if she has ever met Killgharrah before. I move silently down the stairs into the dungeons, and follow my connection to the furthest dungeon. She is inside doing something with some chains. I swallow thickly.

"Hey Raven what the hell are you doing down here?" I ask her. She turns around carefully, and smiles at me.

"I was looking for something usefull but your here now so I do not need anything from the dungeon," She says sweetly. She steps towards me, and I step back. I do not like that glint in her eyes.

"But what would you need from the dungeons?" I ask her. She frowns, but stays away from me.

"Something to tie you up with," She says simply.

"Why do you need something like that?" I ask her.

"So I can keep you from moving around. The more things you do the more it seems you get into trouble and run into dangerous beasts," She says with a sad shake of her head. An idea pops into my head.

"I am going with Arthur in the morning to hunt down the beast and kill it," I tell her. Fury burns in her eyes.

"Why do you want to put lives on the line to kill something?" She snarls at me.

"Why do you want to chain me up to keep me safe?" I ask her my voice also rising.

"Because it seems to me that you are incapable of keeping yourself alive," She yells.

"I'm still standing here!" I yell back at her.

"Only because I made you promise to run away. If Arthur was not runing away as well you would have made a stand and fought the Questing Beast," She hisses at me. When did we get so close?

"Most likely yes. It is my destiny to protect Arthur, if he had tried to fight I would have stood by his side," I say in defeat. Man she smells really good, but why do I notice that at all? We can never be anything more than friends.

"Than to ensure you do not do anything rash I need to lock you up," She says, and grabs my wrist. I pull away from her and try to run away.

"Merlin get back here, now," She yells. When I ignore her, I hear her say a spell, and then it feels like there is a giant hook in my stomach pulling me back to Raven. Once I collapse on the ground at her feet I open my eyes and stare up at her. Time to put my plan into action. I hold out my hand while she leans down to pick me up. I say a silent spell and she flies backwards into the cell. Before she can do anything else I cast a sleeping spell on her. She falls to the floor asleep and in a heep. I carefully make her comfortable before closeing the cell door, and locking it with both a key as well as a spell. Now I just have to hope she values her life enough to not kill me when I let her out tomorrow.

Raven

Why does my head hurt? I sit up slowly, and smell the musty straw in my mattress. It's time to change that. I stretch and look around the room for merlin, but where the hell am I? It starts to come back to me slowly. He put me to sleep and locked me in a cell. This is war now. He had beter watch himself very closely from now on. I shift and look for a way out. I want to torture him for this. It doesn't take long before I am out with the door and spell still intact. He is going to go crazy trying to figure out where I am.

My sensitive ears pick up a sound from far below me. Well I have nothing better to do. I follow the noise until I come out into a massive cavern. Down below I can hear and smell a slow moving river. The more interesting thing tough is the dragon eating something far below. I shift and lean out to get a better look. From here it appears to be a tanish color, but that could change up close. "Hello?" I call out. There is instant silence throughout the cavern. Then wings lift the dragon to a perch in front of me. When he lands I stare at him. He is more magnificent than anything I have ever seen before.

"What are you doing here Shifter?" He asks. HIs voice is rich and rumbles through my bones. I can smell Merlin has been here often. So he was drawn to this noble beast as well.

"I was bored and heard you eating," I tell him.

"You must have been very close already to hear me," He says with a chuckle.

"Well Merlin decided he was going to lock to me in a cell because I didn't want him to go chasing off after a Questing Beast," I tell him. He nods his massive head in thought.

"That is not always a bad thing. It is his destiny to look after Arthur," He says. I narrow my eyes.

"Are you the one that keeps telling him that?" I ask him. He laughs and nods his head again.

"Of course. He comes here often to ask for help. Very soon I will demand my payment for all the help that I previde for him," He tells me. Figures he is looking out for himself.

"What payment will you ask of him?" I ask him.

"I will ask to be freed from my bonds, so that I can get back at those who thought they could chainme up and then forget about me," He says with a smile.

"So long as nothing happens to Merlin I shall not interfere Dragon. But know this, Never come between a Shifter and her bonded. I will kill whatever Ineed to inorder to keep him safe, and if that includes a great dragon such as yourself than I will do it," I tell him.

"I shall not harm Merlin directly when I escape, but he may be injured while I attack Camelot," He says.

"I will ensure that he is far away while you get revenge," I tell him.

"Than we shall never speak of this to anyone correct?" He asks.

"My lips are sealed if your are," I tell him with a grin. His eyes are twinkling in amusement. From behind me I hear hurried footsteps. I turn around and watch as Merlin rounds the corner quickly.

"Arthur was bitten by the Questing Beast," He says. He is out of breath and flustered. And the fear and worry I can see in his eyes, keeps me from punishing him for locking me in a cell. He is so lucky I really do value my life.


	13. Chapter 13Nimueh

**So hello there. I know this is the first time I am doing an Author's note, but I figure it may as well be time. I own nothing from Merlin sadly, but than who on this website does right? Please tell me what you think, and by all means do not be gentle. I want the truth. Thank you for reading my story. **

RAVEN

I stay to the side while Kilgharrah tell Merlin about the Isle of the blessed. I get a bad feeling about this, but I remain silent. When Merlin heads back up to pack a bag for the trip I stay behind. "Whose life is he going to end up sacrificing?" I ask the dragon.

"His mothers. That is the only person he cares for as much as he cares for Arthur. That is the way this works," He tells me.

" If I get there first, and offer my mother's life for Arthurs will that work?" I ask him.

"Who is your mother?" He asks.

"Currently she is the ruler of the wolf shifters. My feeling for her are the same feeling I have for Arthue right now, and if it will spare Merlin the pain of losing his mother it is worth a try," I tell him. He thinks it over.

"Yes it may work. The only way to find out is to go and try. You may want to slow Merlin down a bit though," He suggests. I dip my head to him in thanks before hurrying up to Merlin's room. He is grabbing things at random. I cast a silent spell to make him sleep for an hour hopefully he will not notice. That should be all the headstart i will need. I close his bedroom door, and grab a few things to eat on the way. Gauis walks in and starts grabbing a few things to try and ease Arthur's passing.

"Gaius, I am goingt o the Isle of the Blessed to try and make a bargain for Arthur's life. I have put Merlin to sleep for an hour. After that I am afraid he will make the trip as well. My hope is that I will make it there and finish before he can arrive," I tell him. He thinks it over.

"Be careful," He says. I smile at him.

"Unlike Merlin I know that it is not just my life that I am now responsible for. Someday hopefull he will figure it out, and stop risking my life for Arthur," I tell him. I give him a quick hug, before heading down to the stables. I pick out Arthur's horse, and tck it up, before monting and riding out directly from the stables. If the prince is lying in bed on the brink of death he will not be needing a horse.

MERLIN

I jerk upright, and stuff things into my pack. Something feels off ever so slightly, But I need to hurry or Arthur will surely die. Out in the main room I grab a few things to eat, and hurry down to tack up my horse. I need to move quickly or I will be too late. Something in the back off my mind is telling me that I have forgotten something important, but as I lead my mare through the forest I cannot recall what it is I might have forgotten. I love the horse I got with my station. She may not look like much, but she has speed and endurance. Things she needs if she is to keep up with Arthur war horse occasionally. I urge her into a canter as we clear the woods, and she strecthes out under me and takes flight over the land. I may never tell anyone this, but I certainly do love riding. I may complain about my butt sometimes, but this is the closest I have ever come to flying.

Eventually she goes so fast I stop hearing anything other than her hooves as she races over the ground. I giver her her head, and she gives me her all. Her hooves are like thunder in the hills as we climb higher into the white mountains. I just hope her spped is enough to get to the Isle soon enough to save Arthur.

RAVEN

Arthur's horse is amazingly powerfull. I have never ridden such an amazing horse before. He covered the white mountains like it was nothing. I look out over the water as I give him a break. We got here a lot sooner than I thought was possible. After he drinks his fill, I tie him in an out of the way location, and step in to the boat that will take me to the island. I have never stepped foot in this place, yet it feels so welcoming. When the boat stops beside some steps, I step out gingerly. The power coursing through the very ground beneath my feet is wonderful. I feel energized and revived. I follow the power to the altar in the heart of the Island. There a beautiful woman is waiting. She is wearing a long red dress, and doesn't look at all surprised to see me.

"I must say, it has been a lon time since a shifter has stood before me. What can I do for you Raven?" She asks.

"That is hardly fair. You know my name, and yet I do not know your's," I tell her.

"Of course. My apologies. My name is Nimueh, and I am a Highpreistess of the old religion," She says. I nod to that.

"I have come to ask assistance in saving the crown prince Arthur's life. He was bitten by a Questing beast," I tell her.

"Is that so? Do you know the price for such a thing?" She asks.

"A life for a life. I offer my mother's life for his. My mother is the ruler of the wolf shifters. A queen if you will. I wish to spare Merlin the pain of losing his mother to save Arthur," I tell her.

"Why would you assume that Merlin's mother would be traded for Arthur?" She asks.

"Because Merlin loves Arthur as much as he Loes his mother. It is only logdical that she be the proper sacrifice," i tell her.

" You are sharp wolf. What if you become my shifter and I will give merlin what he needs without a sacrifice?" She offers. The hair stands up on my body and I growl.

"I will only ever be bound to Merlin," I tell her feircly.

"Even though he cares nothing for his life or yours?" She asks. I think about that, but everything in me rebels at the idea of leaving Merlin.

"I will never betray him. I will ask you again. Will you trade my mother's life for Arthur's?" I ask her. She thinks it over.

"I do not believe that is a fair trade wolf," She says sweetly.

"Why not? I care nothing for Arthur or my mother. How is that not fair?" I ask her.

"Because I said so," She smiles at me. I shift into my wolf form and growl at her.

'Give me what I need!' I scream at her. She just laughs at me. I launch myself at her, and we fight for several minutes without a clear winner.

"Is it so important to you that you spare Merlin his feelings?" She snaps at me. She is getting irritated at my persistance. I shift again and give her a long penetrating look.

"It means the world to me that he does not be harmed whether that hurt is physical or emotional I do not care. I willprotect him from both," I tell her. She sighs, and brings out the cup of life.

"I will trade your mother for Arthur. He needs to drink this water and he will live. Are you sure yu do not want to become my shifter instead?" She asks one last time.

"I am quite certain," I tell her. She pours the water and holds up the cup. After a minute I can feel the magic, and then it stops.

"It is done wolf. Your mother will die when Arthur drinks this water," She pours it into a flask and hands it over to me.

"Thank you Nimueh. But please leave Merlin alone. If I ever find out that you have interferred at all with his life after this than I will not hold back next time we fight," I tell her. Her pupils widen.

"You were holding back?" She sounds surprised.

"Yes, after all I needed you alive so you could do this. If I did not need you, you would be dead," I tell her. She dips her head in a sign of respect, and I return the gesture, before leaving the same way I came. By the time the boat reaches shore again, Merlin is just arriving. He looks surprised to see me.

"Raven? What are you doing here?" He asks. I hold up the flask in my hand.

"This will cure Arthur, but we must hurry. Can she make it back without resting?" I ask him. He looks down at his horse, and nods his head. "Good because we must hurry if we want to get this to him on time," I mount Arthur's hrse and we race back to Camelot.

MERLIN

I watch Raven as she pushes Arthur's horse to his fastest. It is not safe exactly, but she is really good at riding a horse. It also looks like she enjoys it as much as I do. I didn't think that anyone did. She leads the way back, but we still need to take a break for night fall. I set up camp while she tends the two horses. I think this is the longest I have ever seen her in her human form before. Sometimes I think she prefers being a wolf. I start the fire, and dinner going. She joins me shortly, and just watches me carefully.

"I am sorry that I tried to lock you up to keep you safe," She says. I look at her across the fire.

"I think I understand why you did it. I need to think about you as well. It is not just my life on the line when I do stupid things anymore," I tell her. She smiles.

"And here I thought you might never get it into that head of yours," She teases me. I smile, and we end up laughing somehow. She gets up and sits next to me, and I feel her heat radiating off of her.

"Are you always so warm?" I ask. She looks at me.

"Of course," She says imply. She picks up the sppon and stirs the stew. I have been practising at making it on the road. Arthur still complains, but he eats it greedily.

"So how are we supposed to do this?" I ask her.

"Do what?" She has a confused look on her face.

"Be bonded," I say simply. She smiles at me, and I blush.

"Well it is my job to keep you safe no matter what the cost. Excet death of course. If I die so do you, and if you die so do I. I thought I told you allof this before," She says.

"I wasn't really paying it that much attention," I admit.

"I kind of figured that out. Just be careful and remember that we are tied together," she tells me.

"So are we allowed to date?" I ask her.

"Of course. If there is a girl you like than go for it. Just not me okay? I am not looking for anything romantic," She says. I smile at her.

"I think the stew is done," I tell her as I dish out two servings. She eats happily, and we end up staying awake late into the night just talking about nothing and everything. Who knew that we would actually like each other? Finally she strecthes, and yawns widely.

"Time for bed Merlin. We have to get an early start on the day tomorrow," She says Sweetly. I cover my own yawn and agree with her. I clean up while she sets up a bedroll and shifts. We curl up together, and fall asleep quickly. I dream of nothing really. She wakes me up in the morning and after a quick breackfast we mount up and race towards camelot. I just hope we are not too late.


	14. Chapter 14 The Shifters

RAVEN

I watch as Merlin sleeps peacefully. I will have to leave him alone for a few weeks. I certainly hope he will be able to stay out of trouble while I'm gone. I shake his shoulder gently, and he wakes up. "Hey, come on Arthur needs this," I tell him. He sits up and stretches out. He frowns as he looks around where we slept. I already cleaned everything and cleared stuff away.

"Just give me a second to roll up my bed roll, and tack up my horse," He says.

"No Merlin, I need to do something else. You can take this to Arthur and everything will be alright. I need to check on something," I tell him. He looks really concerned.

"Will you be alright?" He asks. Just great he finally starts caring about my life as well right when I need to leave him.

"Yeah and so will you. Now get up, and take this to Arthur," I tell him. He scrambles up and gently takes the water from me. "And relax a little. The flask is made of metal so even if you do drop it accidentily it will not break. Now hurry, the more time that goes by the worse Arthur gets," I tell him. He nods and rolls up his bed roll while I tack up his horse. Once he is mounted up I step back and look up at him.

"Are you sure that what you eed to do is'nt dangerous?" He asks. I smile at him.

'_Merlin I will be more than fine, and if you are concerned about me, you need only seek me with your mind and we can talk,_' I tell him. He smiles and takes off towards Camelot. I watch him go until I loose sight of him. Once he's out of sight I drop my smile. Man I never wanted to do this, but I need to be sure that she dies when Arthur lives. I run my hand through my hair, and walk stiffly to the horse I took from the stables. I think I shall call her Blackie until I return her to the prince. I can't keep call her Arthur's horse. I mount up, and ride at a slow pace towards the east. I just hope they don't kill me on sight for trespassing on their territory.

MERLIN

I rush into the citadel, and hurridly dismount. I grab the first page I see, and have him untack my horse. Thankfully he doesn't put up much resistance. I run up to Gaius's rooms and burst in. "Merlin?" He asks.

"Here you need to get Arthur to drink this," I hand him the flask, and he looks at it.

"What is it?"

"It is water drawn from the cup of life. If Arthur drinks this he will recover," I tell him. He nods and starts walking out of the room , but then he stops and turns to face me again.

"Who's life did you bargain for this?" He asks.

"I don't know Gaius. Raven already had it when I reached the lake," I tell him. He nods and relaxes.

"Very well come on we must hurry," He heads to Arthur's rooms and I follow behind him closely. I want to make sure that this will work. After Arthur drinks it the only thing left to do is to wait. Sinc King Uther insisted upon sleeping with his son, Me and Gaius go back to our rooms. Before I fall asleep though I seek out Ravens mind.

_'Raven_?' I ask her. It takes longerthan normal to respond, but she does.

'_Yes Merlin_?' She sounds winded even in her mind. I move further into her mind and feel her fighting with someone. She shoves me out. '_Not now Merlin I need to concentrate_,' She grunts. My worry for her increases, but I retreat from her. I do not want her to lose whatever fight she is in because of me. Sleep eludes me all night, and I keep a close watch of her thoughts as she fights all night. Her strenght is astounding and her endurance seems to be unending. Finally when the sun comes up she stops, and I can tell that she does not have to fight anymore. She brushes my mind gently, and I feel warmed. I fall asleep for an hour after that.

RAVEN

I collapse on the bed they assigned to me. I take just one moment to let Merlin know I am alright before I sleep. It seems like only a few minutes before someone comes to wake me for the feast. It was probably all day though since the sun is now setting. I get up, and stretch. It has been a very long time since I had to fight that hard for that long. I can feel Merlin hovering and I smile. He seems rell worried and it feels nice to know that someone cares enough about me to be worried for me all the time.

'_You can relax Merlin. I won all of the battles. Unless I offend someone I will not have to fight again. How is Arthur doing_?' I ask him.

'_He is still a little weak, but he is out of the woods for now. Who's life did you offer in place of his_?' He asks.

'_Someone who had just as much power over her people as Arthur does. She has been missing since yesterday morning. I am hoping it is because of the sacrifice, but I need to be sure_,' I tell him. I change out of the clothes I wore yesterday, and into the clothes being offered to me by the person who showed me to my bed.

'_So was this person inmprtant to you_?' He asks.

'_Once a long time again she was, but then I disappointed her and she turned against me_,' I tell him. I do miss the clothes my people make. The thought must have carried over because Merlin becomes curious.

'_Your people_?' He asks.

'_Yes, I am with my old Shifter clan. I need to make sure the person I offered to Nimueh was the one taken_,' I explain to him.

'_What is different about the clothes of your people than what you normally wear any other day_?' He asks. I grin. This is going to make him flustered. I open the door to the single room hut I am in, and send him a mental image of the people walking around. I can almost feel him blushing through the link. '_That's what your wearing!?_' He sounds really nervous. I smile.

'_No, but it is close. Because I am an outsider to them now I have more fabric. Would you like to see?_' I ask him.

'_No thank you_,' He says.

'_Sleep well Merlin. I will be fine_,' I tell him.

'_I do not think I can sleep without you anymore_,' He says simply.

'_You can and you will. Sleep and dream_,' I tell him.

'_Do you know when you will be back?_' He asks.

'_I do not, but I will return to you. Now if you do not go to sleep I will ask Gaius to knock you out_,' I tell him sternly.

'_Alright. Good night Raven_,' He pulls away and I exit the hut. I was told to find Joseph. Apparently he is the new Alpha, and knowing Alpha's as I do, he is most likely bedding someone. I walk towards the biggest house, and return the nods I get from the people I pass. They admire and respect strength, and I definitely proved that I have that. I pause at the door and listen closely. Yup he is definitly bedding someone.

I sigh, and lean against the wall next to the door to wait. Eventually I close my eyes. I am still tired from last night. "You are the outsider correct?" I hear a small voice ask. I crack open my eye and see a girl a couple of years younger than me, and almost an exact copy of me. I stand up straighter and stare at her.

"Yes," I tell her. So she did have other children.

"I was told to speak with you. My brother believes that if I spend enough time with you I will become strong as well," She says.

"What is your name?" I ask her. She looks really shy, that is never good.

"I am called Lunar," She says.

"Why is that?" I ask her.

"Well it is because I have the nicest voice. But singing is not always that important and if I wish to remain in the pack until I mature I must prove that I am strong,"

"And Lunar, how old are you?"

"I am two years shy of Maturity,"

"And your brother thinks I will be able to make you stronger?"

"That is correct miss," I blush hottly. No one has ever called me miss before.

"Please call me Raven," Her eyes go buggy, and she steps away from me a little.

"You are Raven? The shifter that could not shift?" She sounds surprised, and scared at the same time.

"So you have heard the stories huh? Well you shouldn't believe everything you hear. I can shift just fine Lunar. And don't you ever let anyone tell you differently," I tell her. She does not appear to believe me at all. I sigh, and grab her wrist.

"Where are you taking me?" She sounds so scared. Man if she does not toughen up she will either be killed or kicked out. Both are a death sentence for sure.

"Somewhere where others will not see me. I have kept my shift a secret because I believed I was unnatural," I explain to her. She is not following along with what I am saying at all.

"What could be unnatural about a shift?"

"Many things Lunar, many things," I stop when we reach a clearing, nd strip down. She is watching me nervously, and I hand her my clothes. "Are you ready?" I ask nods her head, and watches me closely.

I shift and she gasps. "Why Raven there is nothing unnatural about you. You are beutiful," Lunar says. she steps forward and runs her fingers through my thick black fur. "I have never seen a more magnificent wolf before. The others will gladly welcome you back if you wanted," She gushes. I grin and shift back.

"Thanks, but I cannot stay. I must return to my other half soon," I tell her.

"You have bonded than?" She says sadly.

"Yes, but I am very proud of the wizard I have chosen," I tell her.

"So the lost puppy returns with a new trick huh?" A deep voice rumbles through the clearing. I look over and see a shadow leaning against a tree.

I start putting my clothes back on. "Hello brother, This is the outsiderRaven," Lunar says happily. Brother, but surely it can't be him? He was removed when he started sniffing around the Beta's daughter.

"So, Raven? It appears we let go of you too soon. Tell me sister why have you come back?" He asks me. Now fully clothed I turn to face him, and cross my arms.

"I might ask you the same thing Markus. You were exiled because you were too interested in selena," I counter. He steps forward, and sneers at me. My skin crawls, and mt hair stands up.

"Yes that was before. Now she is mine and I am the new Beta. Now I will ask you only once more. Why have you returned?" He snarls at me.

"My reason is for the ears of the alpha only," I tell him. he launches at me, and in the blink of an eye he is on his back and staring up at the stars. "You do recall that you were never able to beat me yes?" I ask him.

He growls, but leaves. I run a hand through my hair, and turn to look at lunar. She is staring at me with big eyes. "You are my sister?" She asks timidly.

"Yup, Mother wasn't too happy when she thought I was unable to shift," I tell her. Her eyes get all teary.

"She was removed you know," She tells me.

"What do you mean?"

"She became ill with big boils and was removed from the pack in case it was contagious. I can take you to where we left her if you like. She may be dead though," She offers. I need to know for certain that she did indeed die, but not tonight. Tonight I am supposed to attend a feast with the alpha as reward for winning. I just hope it is not alone with him, and that he does not try to bed me. I will have to kill him if he tries.

"Thank you lunar. Perhaps tomorrow?" I ask. She nods and we head back to the village. Hopefuly I will be able to leave tomorrow, and not be detained any longer.

**Here you go everyone. I am well aware that it has been a while since I updated, but here is the net chapter please enjoy.**


	15. Chapter 15 coming home

Chapter 15

Merlin

It's been several weeks, and aside from the occasional check in from Raven I have'nt heard from her at all. I am a little worried that she won't be coming back, but she assures me that she is. I have also been getting grief from Arthur on the fact that noone knows where his favorite war horse has gone to. hey have searched the entire city, and surrounding forest, but of course they have found nothing. He has been using his bay horse instead. He complains occasionally, but has finally accepted that he is not likely to get his other horse back. I told Raven, and she agreed to get a differant horse when she returns.

'Merlin,' She whispers to me.

'Yes Raven? Are you alright?' I ask.

'Of course I am. I am on my way back all right?' She asks.

'Why wouldn't it be all right? Did you manage to get another horse?" I ask her.

'Of course I did. This beauty will be mine from now on too. She is a lovely paint with big brown eyes, and amazing gates. It barely feels like she touches the ground. Would you like to see her?' She asks.

'No I will wait until you get here. Will you leave her in the woods while you are a wolf?' I ask.

'No I plan to ride her right into the citadel.' She says sweetly.

'But wont that cause a stir if a wolf rode a horse into the citadel?' I ask.

'I will not be a wolf. I have a plan, so stop worrying. I will see you soon, tell Gaius that I miss him,' She says. I agree, and she pulls away a little. I am glad that she is closer than she had been the last couple of weeks, but she still seems to be hiding something from me. 'Stop it Merlin. I spent the last couple of weeks with my old family. I was really busy learning from the tribes head healer and teaching a younger girl how to fight. I was simply too tired at the end of each day to talk to you a lot. That is why I only kept in touch with you in the mornings,' She says. I blush at her tone. She is scolding me, and I have to admit that I like it. This is the most that I have heard from her in the last few weeks.

RAVEN

I ride Sugar Maple into the lower town, and keep her at a slow walk. I know people are staring at me, but I ignore them. I want to see Merlin so bad. i ride Sugar Maple right into the citadel area, and dismount. A paige comes over and takes my horse to the stables. I approach the nearest gaurd. "Excuse me sir, but could you please take me to Gaius?" I ask him. His face is red, but he agrees, and leads me to the council chambers. Oh man I was hoping to avoid Uther's attention for as long as possible.

The knight knocks on the big double doors, and when someone inside calls for us to enter he pushes open the doors. "I have a young lady here to see Gaius," The knight announces. I blush, and keep my eyes down. Young lady? I am not that young am I?

"can I help you?" Gaius asks.

I look up at him and smile. "Yes, I have come a long way to become your apprentice and learn about medicine. If that acceptable to you," I curtsey to him. I glance over his shoulder and see that all of the men are standing. They most likely assume I am of noble birth.

Gaius looks over his shoulder to the king. "Would you be alright with this my lord?" He asks.

"I do not see any issue with you having an apprentice Gaius. Perhaps then Arthur's manservant will have more free time to take care of Arthur," He says. Gaius nods his head and turns back to me.

"I will accept you as my apprentice my dear. What is your name?" He asks.

"You may call me Raven Gale," I give him another curtsey.

"The pleasure is all mine I assure you," He says. I smile at him, and the glint of amusement I see in his eyes.

"Gale? Is that from the Gale family on te Island to the north?" Uther asks. I bow to him.

"It is sire. I was allowed to come here and learn from the best," I tell him with a look to Gaius.

"I will have chambers prepared for you. They will be close to Gaius's own so you will not get too lost onyour way there each morning," uther says. I smile happily at him.

"Tank you very much King Uther," i bow to him again.

"it is no trouble at all my dear," He says. He looks at Merlin who is staring openly at me. He snaps his fingers. "You, boy, go prepare the lady's chambers," he snaps. blushing Merlin hurries from the room to follow the order. I watch as Arthur approaches me carefully.

"I don't believe we have met before. My name is Prince Arthur," He takes my hand and bows over it. I see the look in his eye. He knows I am lying, but he also does not want me to tell Uther that he went to Ealdor when he was ordered not to.

"Raven Gale, It is a pleasure your Highness," I curtsey again. This is why I hate being around noble. Bow to this person, curtsey to that person. It gets annoying really fast. The doors open behind me, and Merlin comes back in.

"Merlin will you please escort Miss Gale to her chambers while we conclude our meeting?" Arthur orders.

"Of course, Sire," Merlin holds out his arm to me, and I place my hand on it gently. He walks me out, and down a few corridors, before he finaly smiles happily. I hug him.

"I have missed you so much Merlin," i tell him. He chuckles and pats my back.

"Me too, I was starting to worry that you would never return," he admits.

"I will always come back to you. It nearly killed me the last few days. My entire being was itching to return, but I had to finsh what I was doing there," I tell him. We keep walking down the halls.

"So nobility huh?" He asks.

"No but as a kind of gift, The Alpha threatened King Gale. If asked he will say that I am his daughter," I tell him.

"But why would the Alpha do that for you?" He asks curiously.

"I found out that he is my father. He wanted to do something to make up for that fact that he didn't act like it. Apparently my mother lied to him about who I was," I tell him.

"Were you excited when you found out that he was your father?"

"Not really even so, there was nothing he could realy do. He cannot accept a banished wolf back into the pack. I would never have been fully trusted by anyone there," I tell him. He nods his head, and stops next to a door.

"Here you are my dear. These will be your rooms from now on," He says. I push open the doors, and smile. It is a room on the corner, and so it has a lot of windows.

"I love it! thank you Merlin," I tell him.

"No problem," He says. I can tell he is soaking up my praise. "I should warn you though, Uther is having work done lower down in the castle. It hasn't been quiet for a few days, and i have no clue when they will stop if they ever do," he admits to me.

"So I guess that means I won't get a decent night sleep huh?" I tease playfully.

"I just hope they find whatever it is their looking for," He says with a sleepy yawn.


	16. Chapter 16 Enter Cedric

Chapter 16

Raven

I know Merlin warned me about the work being done below the castle as Uther looks for more wealth, but this is becoming ridiculous. How long will they continue to work? I roll over in my big comfy bed, and place a pillow over my head. It muffles the sound a little, but not much. How is anyone able to sleep through that? Surely the king would tell them to only work through the day, so that people can sleep at night?

I get up, and pace around my room. If they don't stop soon I wil be forced to go down there and demand that they stop at once. 'Relax Raven. I'm going down to tell them to stop by Prince Arthur's command,' Merlin soothes me mentally. I relax and send him a mental hug. Not too long after that the banging stops, and I sigh in relief.

'Oh, Merlin you are a miracle worker,' I tell him.

'Thanks but they didn't leave because of me. They found a tomb, but a boobytrap killed one of the workers. They refuse to do any more work,' He explains. Well bummer, looks like things are going to get noisy again soon.

'Just try to stay out of it?' I ask him.

'What is that supposed to mean?' He huffs out. I curl up under my covers and just laugh. Sleep takes me swiftly on feathered wings to the land of dreams. Which is where I promptly lose myself in a deep and old forest. Except that this forest is different. There are centaurs in here, as well as thestrals, not to mention hippogriffs. These creatures do not normally share territories, so why are they here? Then my breathe stops as I walk into a clearing and see an entire herd of unicorns. This must be what heaven looks like. I smile happily as a foal frolicks around me, before the sound of knocking makes me sit up in bed.

"What!" I snap. That was a very strange dream. I wonder where that forest is.

"Sorry, Milady, but we're a little short staffed at the moment and the Lady Morgana has asked that I come to look after you until a time when there are more servants," Gwen says sweetly as she curtsies to me. I flop back onto the bd, with a sigh. No matter how hard I try I can't stay mad at Gwen or Merlin. It really annoys me sometimes.

"I'm sorry I snapped. I was having such a lovely dream that's all," I tell her. She smiles while I get out of bed, and head over to the cabinet to pick out a decent shirt to wear today.

Gwen gets started on making the bed. She already learned her lesson the first day she tried to help me dress. I'm sorry to say that I made her cry, but I dress myself thank you very much. "What was it about?" She asks.

"I was in a forest, and playing with a baby unicorn," I tell her. She gets a dreamy look on her face as she imagines it.

"Yes I can understand why you would not want to be woken up when you are having such a wonderful dream," She admits sweetly.

"Exactly. I really did not mean to snap at you, I promise," I tell her. After I made her cry I have been extra nice to her since Morgana stormed in here to yell at me. I just laughed at her, but we've become some what friends. I prefer Gwen over Morgana, but they are both very lovely ladies. Someone knocks on the door, and I sigh. Three guesses who?

"Who is it?" Gwen asks.

"Prince Arthur," He says. And we have a winner folks. I pull on a shirt quickly, and nod to Gwen as I start working on my hair for the day.

"You may come in Sire," She tells him. He opens the door, and comes in slowly with his eyes glued to the floor. He most likely doesn't want to seem to eager.

"I was hoping I could invite The Lady Raven to Dinner tonight," He says bashfully. How cute! look at those pink cheeks, I had no idea he could look so loveable. Just like a good puppy!

"Sorry, Arthur, but I have other plans already," I tell him. He meets my eyes in the mirror, with a pouty face. And enter puppy dog eyes right on cue. This dance is starting to become too familiar.

"I already promised to have dinner with a friend, and it is improper to go back on a promise. Perhaps another time," I tell him. I put the final pin in so my hair stays out of my face, and get up from the vanity. Gwen is done tidying up for the day, and excuses herself from the room.

"Thank you Gwen. My chambers would look like a pigstye if I didn't have you to tidy them every day," I tell her. She smiles brightly before closeing the door behind her. I walk over to the table in my room and pick out a golden apple from the platter of fruit. Living as a noble sure is fun. "So why are you still standing in my room?" I ask the prince. Normal dogs go sulk in a corner after being told no.

"Are you sure you won't reconsider my offer?" He asks. I glare at him. Bad doggy! too bad he can't hear me. Merlin is having a blast with this.

"Sorry, but no. I will be otherwise engaged tonight," i tell him.

"Very well. I am sorry to impose upon you like this," He bows his head before leaving. He has been coming to my room every other morning and asking me to eat dinner with him. I just hope he takes the hint, and stops chasing me. Perhaps I can give him a different bone to gnaw on? I hear Merlin crack finally and start laughing out loud.

'Hey Merlin?' I ask

'Yeah?'

'Woof woof,'

'Stop, please I can't breathe!' He gasps happily.

'Whatever, you need to get ready, he's probably going to sulk now, and pout. Maybe he'll go for a hunt? A bit of fresh air, and a long walk always clears my mind,' I tease him. He laughs some more.

'You so called it. I have to go prepare his horse for a ride,' He laughs through our connection, and I smile. We have been getting along amazingly well since I came back. I walk down the hall ways to Gaius's chambers. Time to work, and learn. I enjoy spending time with Gaius. We are both learning a lot from one another.

"Good morning Gaius!" I call out cheerfully as I open the door. He smiles up at me from a seat at the work table. "Did you miss me?" I ask happily. He chuckles, and we get down to work. Several people need some cold remedies, and a few others need more serious treatment. Not to mention how someone still needs to go out and gather some herbs. I usually get to do that, thankfully. I love gathering herbs.

"I was thinking, you might like to join me on my rounds today. it will give me a chance to introduce you to my regulars," He suggests. I think it over carefully, and run a hand over my collar bone without thinking too much about it.

"Can you cover that up? It would be very bad if someone were to see that," he points out. I look down, and see my druidic mark. I smile at it fondly. I had it made special for me, and tattooed into my skin. It is a work of art if one knows what each line represents.

"yes Gaius, sorry I didn't mean to uncover it," I straighten my shirt, so it is once again covering the tattoo. it would indeed be a hassle if someone saw that. Now where were we? Oh right! Do I want to join Gauis on his usual rounds? " That is a great idea. I would love to go with you, just let me grab my cloak, so I am somewhat decent to be seen in public," I tell him. he nods his head.

"I will wait for you while you get ready," he says sweetly. He is so understanding sometimes. Other times he acts like a father to not only Merlin but me as well. Though he tends to think of me more as an equal than as a child. The door opens just as I'm reaching for it. A knight stumbles in with a small injury from practise. "Perhaps you will have to wait for me," He dismisses me. That is something that has been bugging me. Gaius refuses to let me treat any men. like I haven't seen a man's body before. I scoff inside my head, and storm down the hall to my rooms. No use getting worked up over it, eventually he won't be able to order me out of the room.

I wait on the front steps to the citadel for Gaius, and watch as Merlin brings Arthur his horse. I cover my mouth, to hide my laughter when the prince falls off. I thought Merlin knew how to do up a horses tack?Clearly Arthur needs to take a few lessons about balance. I hurry over, and lend the prince my hand.

"Allow me Arthur," I tell him. His face is red, but he gives me his hand anyways. Some stranger brings his horse back. "You do know that you are supposed to stay on the horses back right?" I tease him. He mumbles something, and I laugh. I so enjoy teases the people around me.

"Raven!" Gaius calls over. I look over to him, and wave.

"Well try to stay in the saddle this time Arthur. I have to go now," I hurry after the surprisingly quick Gaius. How is he able to move that fast?

Merlin

"Hear that Merlin? An honor!" Prince Arthur says while 'Cedric' brushes him off. I can't understand what went wrong with the girth. I have never had this happen to me before.

"It is an honor to be able to assist the Prince, My Lord," cedric grovles, and I resist the urge to scoff out loud. How much of a butt kisser is this guy? "Is there anything else I can do for you, Sire?" He asks.

"Sure, you join me on my hunt. We're short a man," He mounts his horse again, but this time he stays up there. I hand cedrisa thick stick, and grin happily when I knock the air out of him.

"Here you go, you can be a beater," I tell him evilly. We follow Arthur out to the forest to look for boar. Hopefully after this that suck up Cedric will find serving Prince Arthurto be too much work. I hate how he keeps looking at him.

'My, My Merlin. Are you getting jealous over Arthur?' Raven teases.

I laugh. 'No clue what your talking about,' I tell her. I can feel her humor and it makes me smile.

Naturally we find the boar, and Arthur nearly gets killed, and as usual I save his sorry butt. This time though, Cedric takes the credit for throwing the spear that stops the boar. Unbelievable, that sleezy clotpole! "You saved my life. Is there anything I can do to repay you?" He asks.

"There is one thing , Sire," Cedric says.

"Name it,"

"A position in the royal household," He says. Arthur claps him on the shoulder.

"Done," I stare at him in shock. So all it would take to get close to Arthur is to save his life, Or at least claim to have done so. Better hope no assassins learn about that. They is a major flaw in the system there. We head back to Camelot, and I laugh when I realize that Arthur is much happier now that he's gone out for some fresh air. I hear Raven whisper in my mind agian.

'Woof, woof,' I turn my laugh into a cough, when Cedric gives me an odd look. I just know he's up to something, but until he actually makes a move there is nothing I can do. I just hope he's not after Arthur's life. Now I have to go serve dinner in the dining hall. Bumer I don't get to sleep with Raven anymore. I miss burying my face in her fur. It always smells like a forest in autumn.

Raven

"Hello!" I call out. I sit on the edge so my feet dangle over nothing. I wait patiently as Kilgharrah lands on his perch. "How are things going Kilgharrah?" I ask him.

"Boring. I want to fly in the open sky again," He says sadly.

"But your waiting till the right time, before asking Merlin to release you. What is it like to fly?" I ask him. His brillant eyes tinkle in delight.

"Would you like me to share a memory with you?" He offers.

"Oh I would love to, but will it be painfull?" I ask.

"Not at all. It will be just like sharing a thought with Merlin. Just open your mind to me, and I will think of how it felt to stretch my wings and soar," He says. I close my eyes, and immediately I can feel the wind beneath my strong wings. I can feel the muscles stretch, and tingle as they start to form a regular pattern. i open my eyes, and look up at the mighty dragon.

"I can see why you miss flying. It is amazing. If I had wings I don't think my feet would ever touch the ground," i tell him.

"At some point you would get hungry, and search out food whether that would be on the ground or in the sky depends on location, and preferance," he teases.

"So want to feel a wolf's howl? It is as close as I can get to your flying," I offer. We go back and forth for hours talking and sharing memories. Once you get past his riddles, Kilgharrah is very chatty.

"Wake up Raven," he says. His voice sounds deeper for some reason. I open my eyes, and look around. "Go to bed little wolf. It cannot be comfortable to sleep on stone like that," He says. I sit up and stretch with a yawn. Sure enough there is a soreness in my back, and a crick in my neck.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep," I stand up, and dust off my pants.

"It is alright. Go to bed, and we can talk again some other ime," He assure me. I nod, before heading back up to my chambers. I pass only a few gaurds, but they leave me alone. I strip down and crawl under the covers and sleep deeply through the night.

_**I would like to thank Nightsanger without whom I would have been stuck with writers block, and nothing to give you. Please enjoy this as much as I did.**_


	17. Chapter 17 Raven's call

Chapter 17

Raven

I look up when the door to my rooms opens without a knock. "Merlin!" I pull out a chair, and he plops down in it. "Why do you have horse poop on your face?" I ask him. I scramble around the room getting a cloth and some water. Once I have them, I sit next to Merlin and tilt his face so I can clean it.

"I have no clue what happened. One minute I am mucking out Arthur's horses, and the next I am lying in a pile of horse crap. I think Cedric had something to do with it," He says seriously. I gently run the cloth over his eye, and smile.

"Are you jealous that Prince Prat likes him better than you?" I tease him lightly. He scoffs, and rolls his eyes.

"No! Why would I be jealous of him?" He asks. I rinse out the cloth, and wipe the last of the crap from his face.

"Settle down, Merlin. There, all better. Hey look at me," I turn him to look at me. "Even if he is being a butt head now, he will always seek you out after every ordeal. Just give him time to remember how well you work together," I tell him. "Or did you forget to have faith in him again?" I ask. He blushes and looks away again. "I see, now go to bed, and be sure to wash again in the morning," I tell him. He smiles and leaves, just as Gwen comes in. I stand up quickly and turn my back to her.

"Why was Merlin in here with you?" She asks. I can hear the teasing tone in her voice.

"That Gwen is none of your business," I tell her with a smile over my shoulder. She shrugs, and proceeds to turn back the sheets, and put out the candles in the room. "Is there anything else I can do for you raven?" She asks.

"Thank you, but I will be fine," I tell her. She curtsies, before leaving. Time for bed! As much as I miss sleeping with merlin, this bed is simply amazing! I strip down to nothing, and crawl under the warm blankets, and let sleep carry my mind away. Tonight I dream of a small child with brilliant blue eyes, and a mop of messy black hair. He appears innocent, and yet he gives me the creeps. We do nothing but watch each other closely, so when Gwen knocks in the morning and wakes me up, I am glad to leave the dreamscape.

"Come in!" I call out. When the door opens though and Merlin enters my first reaction is to pull the covers to my chin and scream. "MERLIN!" His face is bright red, and he spins back around and faces the door. "What do you think you are doing?" I hiss at him.

"You said I could come in," He protests weakly.

"Because I thought you were Gwen. When you knock on a woman's door you need to let them know you are a man," I tell him. He starts to turn around and I shriek again. "Don't turn around!"

"Can you please get dressed? I don't want Gwen to come in and hit me in the head with the door," He says softly.

"Don't you dare peek at me," I warn him.

"I won't peek, promise," He says. I jump out of bed and hurry behind my changing screen. Once there I pull it closed around me so there are no openings.

"Hand me a shirt will you? And some pants. Any will do," I tell him. man is it cold. He shuffles around a little, before handing the things I asked for over the top of the screen. "Thanks, Merlin. Now what was so important you didn't think to announce that you were in fact you?" I ask. i pull on my clothes quickly.

"The tomb that was unearthed the other night was broken into last night. Gaius and I believe that the soul of Cornelius Cigan has been released and is possessing the body of Cedric," He says. I open the screen and step out while putting my hair up into a loose ponytail.

"I'll keep an eye out, but not much for me to do unless he makes a move against you," I tell him with a shrug.

"I just wanted to let you know what was going on," He says sweetly.

"Thank you, now is there something you should be doing?" I ask him.

"Not really, but I do need to tyr and warn Arthur about cedric," He hugs me before turning to the door, and freezing. I peak over his shoulder and see Gwen watching us with a frown on her face. My cheeks immediatley burst in a blush.

"Yeah, you really need to get going," I shove him past Gwen and out of my room.

"So, you and Merlin huh?" She teases.

"No, We're just good friends," I tell her.

"You don't hug me like that," She points out.

"Oh Gwen if you wanted a hug all you had to do was ask," I wrap her in a bear hug that brings tears to her eyes.

"Can't Breathe," She gasps out. I release her and step back with a playful grin.

"Still want a hug?" I ask.

"Not from you, no," She catches her breathe for a minute, before giving me a knowing smile. "So did he come back after I left last night?" She asks.

"No, he just showed up really early," i tell her simply.

"So why don't you turn him down like you do the Prince?" She asks.

"Because you have a crush on the Prince, and I don't want to hurt your feelings," i tell her. Her cheeks light up and she stammers out an excuse before hurrying from the room. I laugh, before slipping on some thin shoes, and heading out to Gaius' chambers. I wonder what he'll have me do today?I bump into someone in the hallway, and a shiver of dark magic races down my spine. Than everything goes black, but not before i hear a Raven's call. How Ironic I know.

Merlin

I stumble, and fall to my knees. The pain in the back of my mind is blinding, and I gasp for breathe as I blink my eyes rapidly. That came from Raven! '_RAVEN!' _I call out for her in my mind, but there is no reaction at all. Panic fills me, and I scramble to my feet and race to Arthurs room. i burst in and hurry to his desk.

"Raven is missing I blurt out before he can say anything about me not knocking. He stands quickly.

"What! How do you know that?" He asks.

"She never showed up in Gaius's chambers at the time she is supposed to. She is never late Sire," i tell him. He rushe out the door, and we pass by Cedric. As much as I hate him right now, Raven is far more important. We hurry to Gaius's rooms, and burst in. Gaius looks up in surprise.

"What's happened?" He asks.

"Have you seen Raven today?" Arthur asks.

"No she was supposed to be here a few hourse ago. She's never been late before," He says.

"Merlin check the castle, I will take my knights into the lower town and market. Search everywhere for her. If father finds out something happened to a visting princess while here then we will all be punished for it," He turns on his heel and disappears.

"Merlin what is the meaning of this?" Gaius asks.

"I can't feel her at all Gaius! it is almost like she was ripped from me by force!" I tall him before turning on my heel as well and raceing through the corridors. The best course of action is to start at the top and work my way down. I pass by Gwen and grab her arm to pull her to a stop.

"Gather as many servants that can be spared, Raven is missing," i tell her. Worry fills her eyes and she nods before racing off. Raven where are you? Than the most incredible feeling in the world tickles the back of my mind. I can feel a tiny trace of her. It is still foggy, but there. I need to find her, and fast. _'Hold on Raven I will find you!' _

Sorry if this is short, and that I'm leaving you with a cliffy, but I wanted to torture you guys just a little. Cue evil laughter, I hope your all waiting for my next chapter. Later!


	18. Chapter 18 ByeBye Birdie

Chapter 18

Raven

Everything feels foggy, and heavy. I try to open my eyes, but nothing seems to want to move. "waking up already? you must be a very strong Shifter indeed. Don't worry, when Camelot falls your master will die, and I will claim you before you die as well. Now go back to sleep wolf," A slimy voice whispers. Powerfull magic covers me like a blanket, and I drift away from the surface again. But I hear Merlin in the distance. He'll come for me. I know he will.

Merlin

I slam my fist into the wall and earn a concerned look from Arthur as well as a knowing one from Gwen and Morgana. "What has gotten into you?" Arthur asks with a hiss.

"We searched everywhere and we can't find her!" I yell.

Several people passing us by in the hallway turn to watch us. One look from Arthur though and they scurry away. "Merlin you need to calm down," He says harshly. I sigh and slump against the wall, and slide to the ground. I can barely feel her, she keeps coming and going. Like she is under a spell of some kind, that is keeping her from being able to contact me. What kind of Spell though? Arthur kneels next to me, and places a friendly hand on my shoulder.

"We will find her, so relax. You have to know I will never let my father hurt you because of this," He assures. I smirk at him. As usual he has no clue about anything. "Now go up and be with Gaius. He was really getting fond of working with her and will want to know what is going on," He orders. I stand up, and drag my feet the entire way. Wait! Would Kilgharrah know how to find her? I turn around and hurry down into the dungeons. I have to ask, hopefully he won't be too difficult.

Cigan

I cannot believe my luck! To actually stumble upon such a powerful Shifter is remarkable. Even if she is already bound to another wizard it is a trivial matter for me to steal her. However her wizard must die otherwise she will never be fully trustworthy. I watch her sleep while I wait for night fall. She is truely a rare specimen in beauty as well as power. I can't wait to kill whoever she is bound to!

Merlin

"KILGHARRAH!" I call out as soon as I enter the cavern. He lands harsly on the outcropping he uses to speak with me. I start talking before he has a chance to. "Please my Shifter Raven is missing and something is keeping me from being able to contact her. Is there anything you can do to help?" I ask. He roars in outrage. I jump back fearfully, then the tiny spark in the back of my mind flickers and burns a little brighter.

"RAVEN!" the great dragon bellows angrily. stone crumbles from the cieling and the walls shake at his rage. The spark bursts into life and blazes brighter than before. "Hurry warlock before she is put to sleep again by her capture. Hurry!" He urges, and I follow the burning path connecting me and Raven. Surprisingly it leads me to a grungy pub, but just as I am about to enter a giant Gargoyle lands in front of me. I try to get around it and two others appear. Damn it! I head back up to the castle, dodging Gargoyles the entire way. I need to tell Arthur that I know where she is!

Raven

I sit up in terror as Kilgharrah roars in my mind. I look around, and see a simple bedroom in a pub. I turn to the left and come face to face with a frowning Cedric, or is it Cornelius?

"Well this is bothersome," He murmurs. I try to jump from the bed but find out the hard way that I'm chained up.

"Let me go you creep!" I snarl at him.

"I can't do that dear. You see with you by my side I would be invincible," He gives me the oddest smile.

"It's impossible! once a shifter is bound they are bound till death. There is no way to take a shifter from another witch or wizard!" I snap. The urge to shift is becoming stronger.

"Actually there is a way but it requires perfect timing and the death of your wizard," he says. No merlin! I shift, and he grins happily as he snaps something around my throat. I lunge at him, and with a snap of his fingers the collar tightens on my neck. I fall to the floor gasping, until he snaps his fingers again. "You better not try that again if you know what's good for you wolf," He laughs and I growl. _'Merlin if you don't kill this ass whole than I will_!'

Merlin

I chuckle lightly, and help Gaius as much as I can. Arthur is out helping his citizens and trying to work his way to the pub I told him about. A small voice in the back of my mind scolds me about putting his life on the line, but a much louder voice demands to have Raven back safely regardless. I can feel her anger boiling through our bond, and her growl echoeing in my chest. **_'HE'S WALKING ME ON A LEASH LIKE A COMMON DOG!_**' She bellows. I see red, and only the screams around me keep me from rushing out of the citadel to kill him myself. How dare he treat her like that!

"Merlin, you have to put Cigan's soul back into the crystal," Gaius says pulling me aside.

"But how do I do that?" I ask.

"I know not, but there is one who is much older than I who may be able to help you," He says. My mind drifts to Kilgharrah again. This would make it twice in one day, he will be thrilled to have me asking him for help so much. I frown at him.

"You knew that I used to go see him then?" I ask.

"of course, You are both born of magic. It was only a matter of time before you sought him out," He says simply. I nod and head first to kilgharrah.

"Why have you not rescued her!?" He demands before I can say a word. "Does She Mean Nothing To You!?" a few more stones fall to the cavern floor at his raised voice.

"I do care about her! the only way I can save her is to put Cornelius Cigan's soul back in the crystal it was in originally. Can you help me?" I ask him. He thinks it over carefully and a few bangs from overhead decide for him.

"There is a spell that will do the trick but is much stronger than anything you have ever done before," He warns.

"Please, I need to get her back," I tell him pleadingly.

"Indeed you do young warlock. Close your eyes and open your mind," He says and I am reminded of that night on the edge of Ealdor when raven said the exact same thing to me. As magic flows around me, and the spell comes into my mind a single tear rolls down my cheek. When did I start relying on her constant presense in the back of my mind? When did I start looking forward to her quirky comments and her random thoughts that would pop up and make me smile? "Few men have ever been gifted this knowledge. Use it wisely young warlock, and save Raven. Cornelius is the worst thing that could possibly happen to her," He says with a sad look in his eyes. I will most likely be back later to ask him about that, but right now I have to go.

Raven

I can barely manage to keep my boiling rage contained. He is dragging me through the streets of Camelot on a leash, and chatting like it is the most natural thing to do! I refuse to make anything easy for him! I grab a hold of the leash and yank it from his hand, but he snaps his fingers and I fall to the ground again unable to breathe. He leaves me like that until he walks over and picks up the leash again, then, and only then, does he snap his fingers again, and the collar releases. I gulp in as much air as I can in a few short breathes, but remain on the ground motionless.

"Get up," He says emotionless. My breathes are shallow enough to appear non existant. I hear him grumble, but than I notice Merlin coming closer. A sharp pain races across my back as he kicks me to see if I'm still alive. I force myself to remain completely still, and focus entirely on the collar. If I can figure out the design I should be able to break it. I just hope Merlin knows what he is doing. Until I can get this collar off there is very little I can do to help him.

Merlin

My first thought when I saw Raven lying still on the ground as Cornelius kicked her was : she's dead. It is not possible! she could not be dead, after a second though I could feel her rage bubbling like a cauldron through my connection and a grin breaks out across my face. She is definitely alive alright, but then why is she allowing him to kick her? He lifts his foot to kick her again and I step forward and get his attention.

"What do you think you are doing?" i demand of him. He looks up at me and gives me a smirk. I hate that smirk it clearly says 'I know something you don't know', and it is pissing me off. Or maybe that is just some of Raven's fury seeping over, either way I am not happy with him.

"And what gives you, a servant; the right to question my actions?" He growls at me, and I step forward towards him. One of his gargoyles swoop down to kill me, and I destroy it. That was stronger than normal. I glance at Raven and see that she is watching me very closely. Is she adding some of her magic to mine? "Who would have thought that Merlin was a warlock, and a powerful one at that!" He sneers. He glances between me and Raven and he gives me that knowing smile again. "So she belongs to you does she?" He moves over to her and reaches for her, and quick as thought she bites him. He jerks away from her with a hiss and snaps his fingers. She starts to wheeze, and cough.

"What are you doing to her!" I demand angrily. He snaps his finger again, and she relaxes, still keeping her ice blue eyes locked on me.

"It is a useful thing don't you think? It allows me to control her. The collar shrinks and cuts off the air to her lungs. If I leave it shrunk too long she will no doubt pass out and even die," he warns. So he is effectively usung her to keep me from fighting him. "You should join me Merlin. You do not deserve to be a servant. If you join me you would be praised for you power," He says seductively. I feel a steady influx of magic, and glance at Raven. Meeting her frigid gaze that felt far warmer than it appeared. She is helping me the only way she can, by lending me some of her strength.

"That is not something I want," I tell Cornelius. He frowns at me with disappointment.

"Well if you will not join me than I shall become you and then I will harness your power to my purpose," He says with passion. I watch as Cedric's body convulses, and blue mist starts to pour out of his mouth. I pull out the crystal and start to cast the spell Kilgharah showed to me. If I do this correctly I should be able to trap him back into the crystal.

Raven

I give him just a little more of my power. He needs as much as he can spare to cast the spell Kilgharrah gave to him. I will have to have a word with him. That spell is highly dangerous and does not always work as it should. I just hope that Merlin's spirit is stronger than Cigan's. Cigan's soul circles around Merlin and flows into his mouth and he collapses to the ground. I get up carefully and creep closer to him. I can feel the two of them fighting for dominance, and for a breif moment Cigan wins. Than Merlin expels him back into the crystal and I hurry to him.

"Are you alright Raven?" He asks me. I close my eyes as he runs his hands through my fur. '_Other than having a collar and being walked like a common mutt, Yes I am fine. By any chance while he was in your head did you happen to see anything about removing this collar_?' He gives me a knowing smile, taps the collar around my neck which snaps open. I shift back, and hug him tightly.

"I knew you would come looking for me," I tell him strongly. For a moment eveything else in the world doesn't exist. It's just us enjoying a brief moment and confirming in our minds that we both have survived another ordeal. Man how many is that since I met Merlin? I've already lost track. Not really a good sign.

"Thank you Raven for helping me back there," He murmurs. His arms are wrapped around my waist tightly. It feels like he never wants to let me go, and I smile into his neck where I have my face buried.

"Tell me Merlin, by any chance do you feel like the safest place for me is close to you?" I ask him.

"yes,"

"Now you now how I felt when we first met," I tease him. Then someone clears their throat and we both look up to see Gaius standing there and smiling at us in a fatherly manner. He is holding a travel cloak in his hands.

"I'm glad she's ok Merlin but are you aware that Raven is naked?" Gaius asks. I glance down at mysef and blush hotly. Thankfully all the smoke is great as a cover, so hopefull noone inside the citadel was able to me. Merlin's face turns beet red as well and we jump apart with him turning his back to me.

"here, this will cover everything up, so you can get back to your room and rest," gaius hold the long traveling cloak out to me, and I gladly accept it.

"Thank you," I tell him politely.

"No trouble at all, I thought it might come in handy," He hugs once the cloak is on and closed. I smile and hug him too.

"Are you mad at me?" I ask him in a small voice.

"No Raven, Not at all. Why would you think that I would mad at you?" He asks.

"For making you worry," i tell him.

"That is not your fault. You did nothing wrong so there is no way that I would be upset with you. Merlin why don't you run along and inform Prince Arthur that Raven is safe and is being brought to her room," He tells Merlin. Merlin beams happily, and hurries away while Gaius takes me to my room. As soon as I open the door, Gwen has her arms wrapped around and saying something about being worried. I smile and hug her back. I think I really like having a friend like Gwen.

Hello again, sorry for the wait. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Thank you for reading!


	19. Chapter 19 Sparring Partners

Chapter 19

Merlin

I can tell that my cheeks are red, but thank god I have a helmet on. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Raven watching me and Arthur spar. As always though I am getting my butt handed to me. This is so embarrassing! Arthur strikes my helmet, and everything rings.

"Stop!" Raven calls. Arthur looks at her like she has three heads.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"If you really want a good work out how about you spar with me?" She suggests. I smile inside my helmet, and look at Arthur while he thinks about it.

"I wouldn't want to hurt you," he says nervously.

"You won't hurt me I promise," she assures him while she picks up different swords to test their weight. "Unless your scared of getting your butt handed to you by a girl, your highness," She teases. She swings a light short sword a couple of times before smirking at Arthur. His face hardens, and he nods his head in agreement.

"When your ready Milady," He inclines is head to her, and she steps forward.

"Would you like to remove some of the heavy armor?" She suggests.

"I will be fine, but do you want to put some on?" it sounds to me like they are teasing each other. I take of my helmet and sit on the sidelines to watch. This is going to be fun.

"Very well, just let me know when you have had enough," She crouches and holds the sword at the ready. For several seconds neither of them move, then Arthur takes a step forward, and Raven launches into motion. She is amazing to watch move. Every step and attack of hers is fluid and graceful. Arthur is having a hard time keeping up with her blows, and even I can see that each strike hurts. She is avoiding all of his weak points, but his mouth grimaces anyways.

They keep going until Arthur trips over his feet, and falls. Raven steps back, so he can get up. "You are very good at this," He comments.

"I have had a lot of practice. Do you want to stop?" She asks.

"I think I should. I have been on the defensive this entire time," He says with a small chuckle.

"Very well. Merlin, would you care to learn a few things?" She offers with a kind smile.

"Sure, just go easy on me please?" I ask. She laughs, and gestures me forward.

Arthur

I collaps on the sidelines where Merlin had been sitting, and watch as she instructs him on proper hand placement on the hilt. She may look like a dainty little thing, but I have never faught a more skilled opponent. She was like water, evading my attacks as if they were moving slowly. If she teaches Merlin even a fraction of what she knows, he would be able to at least hold his own in training bouts. She shows him a few moves, and tells him to do them repetatively.

She sits next to me to watch Merlin move through the stances. "You are very good," I tell her.

"Thank you, but it took a lot of hard work to create a style that suited my speed, and strength," She says.

"When did you start?"

"When I was five and was kidnapped and held for ransom. I figured that if I knew how to fight, then it wouldn't happen again. I was right," she says easily.

"How often do you train to stay in fit condition?"

"Every day. I steal just a few minutes or a few minutes there. You don't have to have an alotted time to keep things fresh in your mind," She says. We lapse into silence for a few minutes, before she turns to look at me. "Arthur, when are you going to ask Gwen out?" She asks.

I turn to look at her in surprise. "Gwen? Why on earthr would I ask Gwen out?"

"Because you both are very interested in each other," She says.

I splutter for a moment, but she stands up and walks over to Merlin before I have a chance to respond. They talk quietly with each other, before Merlin starts to put everything away.

"I must head back to Gaius now Arthur, it was nice to spend time with the two of you," She says before walking away. I watch her go, and shake my head in exasperation. I wil never understand the way a woman's mind works at all.


	20. Chapter 20 The Witchfinder

Chapter 20

Raven

I stir the potion slowly counter clockwise, and watch it bubble slightly. "You have a talent for this, Raven. Why was it that you were not allowed to become a healer for the shifters?" Gaius asks.

"Because, they thought I could not shift. If you cannot shift you do not belong in the pack," I tell him. He scoffs in annoyance at the other shifters for me. I give him a sad smile. The door opens and a guard comes in.

"Gaius your presence is requested in the throne room," He says. Gaius looks at me with a question in his eyes.

"Go, I can't leave this alone until it's done," I tell him. He nods and follows the guard down to the throne room. I just hope that everything is alright. Most likely it was Merlin doing something stupid as always.

'_I heard that Raven. Have you no faith in me_?' He asks.

'_I do, but when it comes to magic I always think it is something you did_,' I tell him in return. He huffs, but pays attention to whatever is going on down in the throne room. I turn my attention back to the potion.

By the time the two of them come back I am done with the potion and have it bottled into glass vials and putting labels on them.

"Do you ever learn?" Gaius asks Merlin harshly. "What were you thinking?" He snaps.

"I wasn't thinking," Merlin admits.

"So what did you do this time Merlin?" I ask.

"I conjured a horse in the smoke, and someone saw it. Uther has called for the Witchfinder to be brought to Camelot," He says. I look up at him sharply, and stand up.

"What did you just say?" I ask him.

"Aridian, the witchfinder is being summoned to Camelot to find a sorceror," Gaius says seriously. I walk over to Merlin and smack him across the head.

"Have you any idea how bad this is? He will not stop until he finds someone to burn at the stake. The more people he finds the more money he gets paid. He is a greedy man, that will ensure he gets paid," I tell him.

"But so long as we don't do anything suspicious he should leave us alone right?" He asks.

"No Merlin. Did the person see you near the smoke?" I ask him.

"Well yeah, but I told her I saw nothing," He says.

"She will tell Aridian that you were there, he will call you in as a witness. He will do his best to frame you or get a questionable answer out of you," I tell him.

"You talk as if you know how he works," Merlin says.

"That is because he almost had me when I was younger. He tried to burn me at the stake, but in the middle of the night I vanished. If he recognizes me, I may not be able to get away this time," I tell him.

"I had no idea Raven," Merlin says sympathetically.

"How could you know? I never told you," I reassure him.

"When will he be arriving?" Merlin asks Gaius.

"Tomorrow I believe, or maybe the day after," He says. I hurry into Merlin's room and start to hide anything and everything that may be related to magic. Once I'm done with that I head back out, and see Gaius examing the potions I bottled for him.

"You are very good at this you know Raven. I am very pleased to have you help me with these things," He says giving me a fond smile.

"Thank you Gaius. Merlin, go to bed, and leave everything where I put it," I tell him firmly. He nods, and goes to bed.

"What were you doing in there?" Gaius asks.

"i was hiding everything related to magic. If Aridian searches his room he will find nothing. Do you want my help in here?" I ask him.

"That would take far too long," He starts to say. I look around, and whisper a spell. Everything that even mentions magic in passing, floats into the air, and starts to hide themselves.

"After Aridian leaves, I will undo the spell," i tell Gaius. He is looking around his room in wonder. "Relax, they will not become damaged or lost," I assure him. He nods his head, but he is still watching as things fly around the room looking for good hiding spots. "Good night Gaius. Try to get some sleep. They will be done by morning," I tell him. He nods again, so I head to my room.

"There you are, I was starting to get really worried," Gwen says the moment I walk into my chambers. Morgana rushes over to me, and grabs both of my hands.

"Raven I am so scared," She says. So she does know she has magic, when did that happen? When she went missing a few weeks ago?

"Why Morgana?" I ask her.

"Because what if this magic weilder is someone we know?" She asks.

"Would you like to stay here tonight? We can talk if you want," I offer her. She gives me a small smile,and nods her head. "Gwen if you want you can go home and get some sleep. I will make sure that Morgana is well taken care of," i tell her.

"Alright. Have a good night you two," she walks out, and I pull Morgana toward the fireplace. She sinks into the chair, while I pour her a drink.

"Drink this. You will feel much better," I tell takes a sip and splutters.

"What is this?" She asks through her coughs.

"Much stronger than ale or wine," I tell her. I laugh at the face she makes. "You don't like it huh? I don't blame you. It is certainly an acquired taste," I tell her. I take the cup from her and down the burning alcohol. I smack my lips, and sit in the chair next to Morgana. "Are you going to tell me the real reason you are so scared of this witchfinder?" I ask her.

"I already did," She tries.

"No Morgana. I know you have nightmares, remember I help Gaius when making your sleeping drafts. The thing is, they are supposed to give you a dreamless sleep. If you are continueing to have nightmares, than they are magic in origin. They are most likely visions of the future," I tell her. I stare at the dancing flames in the fireplace, while she digests what I told her.

"So you think that I have magic?" She whispers.

"Do you think you have magic?" I counter her question.

"Yes," I barely hear her at all.

"Than, I will keep your secret," I tell her.

"Why would you do that?" She is giving me a very penetrating look.

"It must be hard. Living with someone like Uther. Now you have to deal with this Witchfinder as well. I find that having a friend makes all manner of things more doable. It is going to be really hard, but you can't give in to anything he may say if he talks to you," i tell her.

"You dont hate me?" She is leaning towrds me, with such hope in her eyes.

"Of course I don't Morgana. Just because you have magic it does not mean that you are different than the person I have been getting to know. I like that person, I think of you as a friend Morgana. That will not change," I assure her. She takes a hold of my hands again, and smiles happily. I will make a slight adjustment to her sleeping draft to ensure it stops visions as well. She could use a good nights sleep.

"Thank you so much! I was so worried that if I told anyone about it they would imediately go to Uther, and I'm not sure being his ward would be enough to keep me safe," She admits to me.

"Come you must be tired, You can borrow one of my nightgowns," I pull her behind the changing screen. While she gets undressed, I get one of the nightgowns, and pass it to her over the screen.

"Thank you Raven," She says softly. I take this chance, to pull on my own nightgown. When she steps out, she is holding her dress awkwardly.

"Relax it is just like camping. Just put that over there, Gwen will clean it, and put it back in your room. Now I don't know about you, but I'm tired," I tell her. I pull back the covers, and curl up on one side. She eases down on the other side, and pulls the cover up to her neck.

"Good night Raven," She murmurs.

"Sleep well Morgana," I tell her. I add in a sleep spell, and listen as her breathing deepens, and she drifts off. I just hope that Aridian doesn't try to question her. She will end up breaking for sure. I fall asleep quickly, and stay asleep until Gwen comes in to wake us up. I can tell with just a glance that Morgana got a good night's sleep as well.

"Thank you for everything raven," Morgana gives me a tentative hug,before heading down to breakfast with Uther. Once they are both gone, I hide everything magical in my room, before going to Gaius's chambers. When I get there though Aridian is having men ransack the entire room. I stand in the doorway, and watch in horror as they ruin potion after potion, and tear apart books.

In the middle of the room, directing the madness stands Aridian. One of the men knocks a pot to the floor, and inside is a bracelet with a brilliant golden stone in the middle. "What is this?" Aridian asks. He takes the bracelet from the guard, and turns to show it to Arthur. When did he get here? Was he here this entire time? Aridian looks over at me, and his eyes narrow.

"Can I help you with something?" He asks dangerously.

"No I was just reporting to Gaius for my daily duties, but I guess now is not the right time," I tell him with a shrug. I turn to go, but he calls out to me. I swear internally before turning back to him.

"You look familiar, do I know you?" He asks.

"I can't say as I recall," I tell him dismissively.

"Please, tell me do you recognize this bracelet? If you work with Gaius closely surely you would know who it belongs to?" He asks.

I hold my hand out for the bracelet, and he hands it over. It is cheap peice of metal, with no traces of magic in it. "I can't say that I do, but it is a lovely peice of work," I tell him. I hand it back to him, and he nods his thanks to me. I give Arthur a small smile, before turning around and leaving. Things are going to be very dangerous over the next few weeks. I need to make sure Merlin keeps his head down, and I need to make sure that Aridian does not catch my scent.


End file.
